Ricotta-Chocolate Cheesecake - crust

Method

• Set oven at 180 deg C/350 deg F.
• Spray a loose-bottomed cake tin with nonstick spray, or grease with butter.
• For the crust, break the biscuits into a processor or blender. (I used a cocolate biscuit called Romany Creams, with a choc filling). Add the melted butter, and mix until fine and nicely greasy.
• Scrape mixture into cake tin and pat flat with your fingers.
• Break the chocolate into pieces and melt -- the microwave does a good job -- just use low heat. Use a chocolate with a high cocoa butter content.
• Put all the ingredients for the filling in your processor in the order given, or use an electric cake mixer. (I preferred the processor, which is faster).
• I used Amarula Cream, a S A product, as the liqueur, but use any equivalent creamed liqueur.
• Do use the largest size eggs, called "jumbo" here. No need to beat first, just crack and add.
• Process until mixture is very smooth, which is so quick in a processor.
• With a rubber spatula, scrape out the mixture on top of the biscuit crust, and smooth the top.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, then switch off the oven, open the door slightly, and let cake cool to lukewarm in the oven. Then take out and cool on kitchen counter.
• Some cakes normally sink slightly or crack: this one has an almost level top, which helps.
• For the topping, whip the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth and well mixed, and spread over the top of the cake.
• For serving you could sift plain bitter cocoa powder over the top. Serve in thin slivers: it is rich. The servings given has taken this fact into account. If you cut it in normal slices, the yield will be smaller.