Black Forest Cheesecake

I love birthdays. Maybe not as much as Trisha does, but a close second. I believe that everyone should have one special day a year to be pampered and catered to. So for Jason's birthday tonight (his 30th!), I offered to make him his favorite meal, and his favorite cake. He chose a black forest cheesecake. I have never made this particular type of cheesecake, but it sounds delicious.

I found the recipe on the PEI tourism website of all places. http://www.tourismpei.com/index.php3?number=15625. God, is there anything PEI doesn't have!

BLACK FOREST CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
• 1/3 cup butter (melted)
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 pkgs. cream cheese (softened)
• 1 can sweetened Condensed milk
• 8 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp. clear vanilla extract (can use regular black colored extract, but it will slightly change the colour of the whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Combine crumbs, butter and sugar. Press firmly on bottom of 9" spring form pan.
3. In large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake 65 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool.
5. Top with cherry pie filling.
6. In a large chilled bowl, beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form. Add icing sugar and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Spread over top of cheesecake.