Chocolate Stout Cheesecake

You guys didn't honestly think I forgot about our 3rd day of cheesecake, did you?!

Recipe Jealousy reared its ugly head today.  I had entered a contest a few months back for Adventure Ingredient Cupcakes.  The winners were announced today, and ALL of the winning recipes included stout beer, despite the fact that there were 14 ingredients to choose from.  So, needless to say, I am slightly bitter about today's recipe including stout beer, but many congratulations to the winners!  I am sure their cupcakes are worthy of the prizes, but this also means that I can now share my entered cupcake recipe with you guys later this week!

Anywho, back to the cheesecake! It ended up having a velvety texture and flavor, and is extremely rich!  You can taste the beer, but it is not overwhelming!

Chocolate Stout Cheesecake
Yields 8 - 10 servings

Ingredients 

Filling
16 ounces softened cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1 bottle of Stout beer (I used Sam Adams Cream Stout)
7 ounces of cacao in the 70 - 79% range (I used Ghiradelli 72% Twilight Delight)
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs

Crust
2 cups chocolate Teddy Grahams crumbs (break them down in a food processor or blender)
4 tbsp melted butter

To Prepare the Cheesecake 
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Wrap the outside of a spring form pan with aluminum foil
3. Mix the Teddy Graham crumbs and butter together in a bowl with a fork until evenly mixed.
4. Spray the inside of the pan with a non-stick cooking spray.
5. Pour the crumb mixture into the pan and press into the sides and bottom evenly, being sure that there are no holes or cracks.

6. Place in the fridge to firm while you prepare the filling.
7. In a sauce pan, cook the beer down.  This step will take approximately 15 - 20 minutes.

8. Once the beer has reduced to half its volume, add the sugar and cook for another 5 minutes.
9. After the sugar and beer have cooked, add the chocolate until it melts, and then remove it from heat.

10. In a bowl, blend the cream cheese and sour cream together.
11. Very slowly, add the beer mixture to the sour cream and cream cheese. 
12. Blend in the three eggs one at a time.
13. Gently pour the filling into the crust, and bake for approximately 1 hour.

Before the bake

After the bake

While baking, your cheesecake will rise to the height of the pan.  It is ready to come out of the oven when the center is firm and jiggles like solid jello!  Your cheesecake will shrink back down as it cools.  Let it cool for about an hour before refrigerating. 

When you are ready to put the cheesecake in the fridge, gently open the spring on the pan, and carefully lift it up and over, being careful not to spill crumbs on the cheesecake!