Chocolate Cheesecake

Easter is one of my favorite holidays.  I remember cooking, easter egg hunts at grandmas and searching for where the Easter bunny hid the baskets.  Easter weekend in grad school was one of the last holidays I got to spend with my grandma.  This year is the first time I have missed 2 years in a row with my family.  Here are two desserts sure to please everyone at your table

Death By Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:
24 Oreos
4 TBSP butter

Filling:
4-8oz packages of cream cheese
10oz Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup special dark cocoa
4 eggs

Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 oz semisweet chocolate

Crust
1.  Crush the Oreo cookies (I use a plastic bag and rolling pin)
2.  Put the crushed Oreos and melted butter in a bowl and mix
3.  Pat the mixture into a 9-in spongeform pan
4.  Cook the crust at 350F for 5 minutes, then let cool to room temp



Filing:
5.  Melt the chocolate and double boiler, let cool slightly
6.  In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and dark cocoa
7.  Add eggs 1 at a time until well mixed
8.  Fold in the melted chocolate
9.  Cook at 350 for about 1 hours, let cool several hours in the fridge before topping


Topping:
10.  In a small sauce pain mix the chocolate and whipping cream until the chocolate is melted
11.  Pour on the chilled cheesecake

I like to top with chocolate shavings or a little touch of chocolate salt

Egg nests

These were a pintrest find by my sister-in-law a few years ago that are easy to make and popular with kids

Makes about 1.5 dozen

6 TBSP butter
40 Large marshmallows
6 cups rice cereal
1/2 cup coconut
Green food coloring
small chocolate eggs

1.  In a large pot met the butter and marshmallows
2. Mix in the rice cereal
3.  Put the warm mixture into muffin tins with a slight dip in the middle, allow to set
4.  Mix the coconut with green food coloring to make "grass"
5.  Put the coconut in the cooled cereal treats
6.  Top with the chocolate eggs