Chocolate-Cherry Cheesecake

The glaze for this cheesecake is ganache. It is one of the easiest, richest and prettiest finishes for cakes. It is simply just pieces of chocolate stirred into heated heavy cream until the mixture is uniform. It is then poured after the cake and cools into a beautiful seamless glaze.

Look for crumbs in grocery store baking isle or put wafers into a plastic ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or process them in a food processor.

Time to prepare 35 minutes (Ready in 5 hours 50 minutes)

Crust

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
4 (8-oz,) pkg. Cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 (21-oz.) can cherry pie filling

Glaze

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 (6-oz) pkg (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.. In a medium bowl combine crust ingredients; mix well. Press in bottom and 1 inch up sides of ungreased 10 inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sugar and almond extract; beat until smooth. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream; blend well.

Spoon 3 1/2 cups cream cheese mixture into crust lined pan, spreading evenly. Carefully spoon 1 cup pie filling evenly over cream cheese layer. (Reserve remaining pie filling for topping). Spoon remaining cream cheese mixture evenly over pie filling.

Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour.

Bring 1/3 cup whipping cream to a boil in small sauce pan. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted.

line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Remove sides of pan. Place cheese cake on paper-lined cookie sheet. Spread glaze over cooled cheesecake, allowing at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve topped with remaining pie filling.

Note: Bake the cheesecake ; let cool and glaze it.. Freeze it until the glaze is set. Wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to one month. Before serving, unwrap the cheesecake and thaw it in the refrigerator for four to six hours.