Chocolate Cheesecake

This cheesecake will make you think you've died and gone to heaven!  I generally prefer plain cheesecake, but after making this one I think it has become my favorite!  It's more of a milk chocolate flavor than a dark flavor.  The chocolate ganache on top seals the deal.  It's crazy good!  It's a great idea to make this cheesecake the day before you eat it, so it can chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Crust:
10.5 ounces GF Oreos  (22 cookies)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Cheesecake:
3 (8 ounce) blocks of cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cups sugar
8 ounces Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

Ganache:
3/4 cup Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325º.  Line the outside of a 9.5 inch spring form pan with 2 layers of heavy tin foil.  Crush the oreo's in a food processor, and pour into the spring form pan.  Pour the butter in with the oreo crumbs and mix until it's combined well.  Press the crumbs down into the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let it cool while you make the cheesecake filling.

Place the cream cheese into a large stand mixer.  Beat until creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  In a small bowl mix the cocoa and sugar until combined.  Add cocoa sugar mixture to the cream cheese and mix until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 egg into the cream cheese mixture.  Beat until it's well mixed and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the rest of the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each is well mixed.

Add the sour cream and heavy cream and beat until combined.  Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the Oreo crust.

Prepare the water bath for the cheesecake.  If your oven has a steam rack with a water reservoir, you can use that and add 1 1/2 cups of water to the water reservoir.  If not, place the spring form pan inside a larger pan and fill with 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches of water.  Make sure your tinfoil protects the cheesecake so water doesn't leak into it.

Place into the oven and bake for 75 - 80 minutes.  To make sure the cheesecake is done, give it a wiggle.   If it slightly jiggles in JUST the middle like jello, then it's done.  If it jiggles all over, it needs to bake longer.  When it's done, turn off he heat and crack the oven door slightly.  Let it cool in the oven.

When cheesecake is cool, make the ganache by placing the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds and stir.  Repeat one more time and stir until the ganache comes together.

Pour the ganache on top of the cooled cheesecake.  Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator until it's chilled.  Slice and serve!  Store in the refrigerator.