Chocolate Cheesecake With Shortbread Crust

This chocolate cheesecake recipe can be made as a full-size cheesecake, mini cheesecakes, or even as a pie! Serve covered with chocolate ganache, whipped cream, or strawberries.

INGREDIENTS FOR FULL-SIZE CHEESECAKE

• For crust:
• 1 stick soft butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch 
• For filling:
• 3 8oz packages cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp espresso powder
• 3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
• 1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS FOR FULL-SIZE CHEESECAKE

TO MAKE THE CRUST

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 
• Grease the bottom and sides of a springform pan and wrap the entire outside with a double layer of foil. Set aside.
• Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric handheld mixer until smooth. Add flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix until combined (it will look crumbly). 
• Press dough into pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING

• Heat cream on stovetop or in a microwave safe bowl until it’s hot, then add cocoa powder and espresso powder and stir until smooth and most of the lumps are gone. Set aside.
• Place cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth and light.
• Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Stir sour cream, salt, and vanilla into chocolate mixture, then pour into cream cheese mixture and mix until well combined.
• Pour filling over crust and place in a large, deep pan, then fill pan about halfway with boiling water.
• Carefully place pan with water and cheesecake in oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Remove cheesecake from water bath and place on a wire wrack to cool for at least 1 hour.
• Remove foil and place in refrigerator uncovered until it is no longer warm, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator for at least 4 hour but preferably overnight.
• Remove from springform pan, cut, serve, and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS FOR MINI CHEESECAKES OR PIE

• For crust:
• 1 1/2 sticks soft butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch 
• For filling:
• 2 8oz packages cream cheese (room temperature)
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp espresso powder
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
• 1/3 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS FOR MINI CHEESECAKES OR PIE

TO MAKE THE CRUST

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and arrange racks so there is one rack just above the middle of the oven, and one rack just bellow.
• Grease the bottom and sides of muffin pans or pie dish. Set aside.
• Place butter and sugar in a medium bowl and beat with an electric handheld mixer until smooth. Add flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix until combined (it will look crumbly). 
• Press dough into muffin pans or pie dish and bake for 15 minutes (mini) or 30 minutes (pie). Set aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING

• Heat cream on stovetop or in a microwave safe bowl until it’s hot, then add cocoa powder and espresso powder and stir until smooth and most of the lumps are gone. Set aside.
• Place cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth and light.
• Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Stir sour cream, salt, and vanilla into chocolate mixture, then pour into cream cheese mixture and mix until well combined.
• Pour cheesecake filling into muffin pans or pie dish, then fill a 9x13 dish with boiling water and place on the lower rack in the oven.
• Place muffin pans or pie dish on upper rack in oven and bake for 20 minutes (mini) or 45 minutes (pie) or until you can see the faintest beginning of cracks around the edges.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 1 hour before placing in refrigerator to cool completely.
• For mini cheesecakes, use a table knife or spoon to remove from muffin pan once cold.

I've also made this recipe using a regular pie crust instead of the shortbread crust and topped it with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips. It turned out great! My cutting was a little messy though!