Chocolate & Pecan Cheesecake

ricotta cheese and nuts, simple and only 45 minutes...nice 8 inch cheesecake.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 1 8inch cake

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup  melted butter
• 1 3⁄4 cups  crushed  vanilla wafers
• 24  ounces ricotta cheese
• 3  tablespoons maple syrup
• 2  whole eggs
• 2⁄3 cup heavy cream
• 8  ounces  good  semisweet chocolate, broken
• 3⁄4 cup  chopped pecans
• 3⁄4 cup  chopped pecans (garnish)
• 3  ounces  grated  semisweet chocolate (garnish)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease 8 inch spring form pan.
3. Prepare melted butter and combine with vanilla wafer crumbs.
4. Press onto bottom of buttered pan.
5. To prepare the filling, beat the ricotta, maple syrup, eggs in a large bowl.
6. Beat until nice and smooth.
7. Bring whipping cream to a low boil and stir int the broken chocolate.
8. Remove from heat and melt completely.
9. Cool slightly.
10. Blend into the cheese mixture.
11. Stir in the 3/4 cup chopped pecans.
12. Pour into prepared crust.
13. Place in preheated oven and bake 45 minutes, or until set.
14. Cool thoroughly on a wire rack and then wrap and chill.
15. Remove rim just before serving, and place nuts around outer edge, and sprinkle with grated chocolate and powdered icing sugar.