Bittersweet Chocolate Cheesecake with White Truffle Sauce

You'll love this cheesecake--it's full of rich (but not too sweet) chocolate flavor!

Makes 12 servings

Cheesecake:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Gold Medal all-purpose flour
3 eggs
8 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, melted, cooled
Fresh raspberries or strawberries, if desired

White Truffle Sauce:
1 package (6 ounces) white chocolate baking bars, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup whipping cream

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees F. Lightly grease bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in flour. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in chocolate. Pour into pan.

2. Bake about 1 hour 15 minutes or until center is set. (Do not insert a knife because the hole could cause cheesecake to crack.) Cool at room temperature 15 minutes.

3. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled.

4. In 2-quart saucepan, melt white chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly (mixture will be thick and grainy); remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream until smooth. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

5. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cheesecake; remove side of pan. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature 15 minutes before cutting. Serve cheesecake with sauce and berries. Store in refrigerator.

Nutrition Information: 1 Serving: Calories 435 (Calories from Fat 305 ); Total Fat 34 g (Saturated Fat 20 g); Cholesterol 110 mg; Sodium 170 mg; Total Carbohydrate 27 g (Dietary Fiber 3 g); Protein 8 g

Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 16 %; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 8 %; Iron 10 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Did You Know?
Bittersweet chocolate differs from semisweet in that it contains more chocolate liquor (the paste that comes from ground cocoa beans) and less sugar.

Success
Use full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor and texture. Reduced-fat varieties will result in a softer, more watery cheesecake.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Betty Crocker 2007/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved