Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache and Berries

Oh Heaven just landed at my door step with this dessert!!  I needed to make my good friend Jacqueline a Birthday dessert and she loves.....cheesecake and Chocolate covered strawberries.  Last year I took these flavors and made her a pie so this year I made this divine cake. ::smack lips::

You will need to start by preping your pan, then make crust, filling, ganache, and finish with berries.

Pan:
Spring form pan, wrap the bottom of pan with tin foil and spray the whole pan with Pan pil spray.

Crust:  Preheat Oven 350 degrees

1 1/2 package of Chocolate Maid Graham crackers

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 stick of melted butter

Crush crackers into a fine crumble, add sugar and flour mix well. Melt butter then add to the cracker mixture.  Add cracker crumble to pan and press evenly over the bottom, also press some up the sides for a small edge. Place into the oven and bake for five minutes. Remove from the oven, using a spoon press down the crust and set aside to cool. Make filling

 

Cheesecake Filling:    Oven remains at 350 degrees

4 packages of cream cheese/ at room temperature

4 eggs/ at room temperature

1 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 zest of a lemon

Using an electric mixer cream the Cream cheese and sugar together, add one egg at a time until well mixed. Incorporate the vanilla and lemon zest and slowly add in the whipping cream. Make sure to scrap the edges of the bowl throughout the mixing so everything is well Incorporated. Pour Cheese mixture into the prepared pan with the crust.

Cover the bottom of the pan with tin foil and return to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the spring form pan to a larger pan. Add some water to the larger pan so that the cheesecake is in a water bath, return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. (if the middle is still a little jiggly that is fine but if it still moves like loss liquid then bake for a little longer.)

Once cooled cover and place into the fridge (allow to set up for at least two hours). 

 

Chocolate Ganache:

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

3/4 cup Heavy whipping cream

5 Tablespoons powder sugar

 

Add all choc. chips into a microwave safe bowl add 1/4 of the heavy cream to chocolate.  Place into the microwave and heat at 30 second increments until completely melted.  You will need a hand mixer for this part.  Begin mixing the chocolate at a slow speed while adding the remaining cream.  Once the cream is mixed in well start to add the powder sugar slowly.  Your ganache should be thick and if not add more melted chocolate.

Pour the ganache over the top of the cheesecake.  Add cheesecake to the Fridge to setup.

 

Berries:

5 strawberries

small handful of blackberries and raspberries

Lemon and zest

 

Cut all berries into small pieces.

Zest one lemon over the cut berries.

Just add berries to the middle of the dessert just moments before serving.