Serves: 10

Ingredients:
125g plain chocolate biscuits
75g butter, melted
2 x 250g packets cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
2 eggs
200g dark eating chocolate, melted
2 x 85g Cherry Ripe chocolate bars, chopped coarsely
425g can seeded black cherries ¡n syrup, drained

Grease side of 25cm springform tin. Process biscuits until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add butter; process until
just combined. Using one hand, press crumb mixture evenly over base of prepared tin.

Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. Preheat oven to moderate.

Meanwhile, beat cheese and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth; add eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions.

Gradually beat in chocolate; fold Cherry Ripe and cherries into cheesecake mixture.

Place tin on oven tray. Spread cheesecake mixture into tin; bake in moderate oven about 50 minutes or until set.

Cool in oven with Cover; refrigerate 3 hours or overnight Serve cheesecake decorated with chocolate roses, if desired.

Notes and Tips:
Use absorbent paper to soak up liquid from the cherries. Chocolate should be cool, but not set, before it is added to the cheesecake mixture.

To make chocolate roses, melt your choice of chocolate then spread evenly over marble or foil-covered surface. When chocolate is almost set, drag ice-cream scoop over surface of chocolate to make roses.

Ripe Cherry Cheesecake Recipe