Salted Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Recipe link: http://ift.tt/29o6PcT. I would recommend checking it out if you want to see pictures for each step.

What You'll Need

Crust:

• 2 5.6oz Schar Gluten Free Honey Grahams, crumbed
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1/4 cup Kerrygold Salted Butter, softened

Cheesecake:

• 1 bar 72% Organic Dark Chocolate w/ Sea Salt & Orange Zest
• 1 bar 72% Organic Dark Chocolate w/ Sea Salt
• 1 bar 57% Organic Dark Chocolate w/ Sea Salt
• 4 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups organic sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp orange extract
• 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
• 4 eggs
• Zest from one medium blood orange
• 2 blood oranges, peeled and separated

Steps

For the Crust:

1. In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, sugar, and softened butter.
2. Stir until the mixture starts to hold together.
3. Press into the bottom of a greased 11" springform pan and set aside until needed.

For the Cheesecake:

1. Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate bars until they are smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix the cream cheese together, one block at a time until smooth, soft, and creamy.
3. Beat in sugar and orange extract.
4. Next, whip in cocoa, mixing well to be sure all the ingredients are completely incorporated.
5. Next, whip in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
6. After the eggs are mixed in, gently beat in the melted chocolate and orange zest.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared spring form pan.
8. Place the slices of blood orange around the top of the cheesecake (it's perfectly fine if they sink into the batter).
9. Set the pan on a round cookie sheet and place into the oven and bake for one hour and 15 minutes.
10. Once the cheesecake has finished baking, allow it to rest in the oven for another hour with the oven door shut.
11. Remove from oven and place on a hot pad. Transfer to the refrigerator to finish cooling.
12. Once your cheesecake has cooled and set up. pop it out of the springform pan, then slice and serve with a garnish of orange zest and a drizzle of chocolate!

bon appetit