This cheesecake has to be made a day in advance so it can be chilled in the fridge overnight.
- 5 tbsps. melted butter
- 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or a chopped-up block of chocolate)
- 1/4 cup light rum
- 2 - 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese (room temperature)
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp. real vanilla extract
- 4 extra-large eggs
Grease the inner sides and bottom of a 9" springform pan with butter (a tablespoon or less.) Cover the outside of the pan with heavy foil (shiny side out.) Mix 4 tbsps. melted butter in a bowl with the graham cracker crumbs and 2 tbsps. sugar. Press evenly onto sides and bottom of pan. Chill in the fridge to set, at least half an hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
On the stove, in the bottom part of a double-boiler, heat water till simmering, but not boiling. In the top pot, melt 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate and stir in the rum.
In an electric mixer, beat cream cheese till fluffy and gradually add sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Beat eggs and add to mixture one at a time, combining thoroughly after each addition.
Pour half the cream cheese batter into a second bowl. Mix the melted chocolate and rum into the batter in this second bowl. Remove the chilled pan from the fridge and pour in the contents of the second bowl (cream cheese/chocolate/rum.)
Pour the plain cream cheese mixture in the first bowl on top. Make "swirls" in the batter with a fork. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove cake from oven and cool on a rack. When cool, remove foil and the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the cake overnight before serving.
