Chocolate-Glazed Cheesecake With Violets

A yummy glazed cheescake.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 40 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon butter, softened
• 2  tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
• 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 5  large eggs
• 3  tablespoons  violets, petals
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
•  boiling water

• Chocolate Glaze

• 3  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8  ounces  semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, chopped
•  candied violet (optional)
•  violet leaf (optional)

Directions

1. Using the butter, coat the inside bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a 10-C mold or 10-inch Bunt pan.
2. Sprinkle mold with graham-cracker crumbs, shaking mold to evenly coat the inside completely. Turn mold upside down to remove excess crumbs.
3. Heat oven to 325°F
4. In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until softened and fluffy.
5. Beat in sugar until well mixed.
6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. With rubber spatula, fold in violet petals and vanilla until well mixed.
8. Pour mixture into prepared mold.
9. Set filled mold in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and place on the lower oven rack.
10. Pour boiling water into pan to a depth of about 1 inch. Bake cheesecake 1 1/2 hours or until almost set in the center. If using Bunt pan, bake 1 1/4 hours.
11. Turn off oven; let cake stand in oven 30 minutes longer.
12. Remove cheesecake from the water bath and cool in the mold to room temperature on wire rack.
13. Cut a piece of cardboard into a round to fit exactly over the cheesecake.
14. Loosen the cake around the side of mold. Unmold cake onto the cardboard round and place on a wire rack set over a jelly-roll pan.
15. Prepare Chocolate Glaze: In double boiler over hot, not boiling water, melt butter with chocolate squares Stir until smooth and cool to lukewarm.
16. Pour half of glaze over top of cheesecake, and with small metal spatula, carefully spread to evenly cover side, allowing excess to drip into pan below.
17. Refrigerate cake just until glaze hardens.
18. Meanwhile, keep remaining glaze at room temperature. If glaze hardens, re-heat in hot water just until spoon able.
19. Pour and evenly spread remaining glaze over cake.
20. Refrigerate cheesecake at least 2 hours or overnight.
21. Just before serving, transfer cheesecake to serving plate.
22. Garnish top with Candied Violets and decorate plate with violet leaves, if desired.