Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Dear my favorite bloggers ever,

It's finals week... aka death.

I'm stressin' and frettin'... bear with me, I'll be done after this week.

Until then, enjoy some cheesecake. :)

Love,

Katie

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
*Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.  If they aren't, the batter will be lumpy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup crushed nuts, toasted
• 4-6 tablespoons butter, melted
•  
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cherry topping (I used storebought... :/)

1/4 cup chocolate mixture (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and nuts with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. 
4. Stir in milk with a wooden spoon (so you don't overmix) and then stir in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. 
5. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. 
7. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Chocolate mixture:  1/8 cup melted chocolate, 1/8th cup chocolate syrup

TIP:  If you don't want your cheesecake to crack (like mine did), you can wrap your springform pan in foil 

and set it in a water bath.  That'll create steam to keep the cheesecake moist, therefore no cracks.