Top Hat and Tails Cheesecake

Top Hat and Tails Cheesecake                                     Biker Jim

Brownie Bottom, Brownie Top, White Chocolate Cheesecake" is a Biker Jim original. Make your own, or pick up a slice at Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs at the corner of Arapahoe and 16th Streets downtown. Makes 1 huge cheesecake, enough for 12-16 servings.

Ingredients

For Brownie:
8     ounces good-quality chocolate
1/4   cup chocolate syrup
4     tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2     teaspoons vanilla
2     eggs (lightly beaten)
3/4   cup flour
3/4   cup sugar
1/2   teaspoon salt

For Cheesecake:
12     ounces white chocolate
40     ounces (2 1/2pounds) cream cheese at room temperature
1/4   cup corn starch
1      cup sugar
4      whole eggs + 1 yolk at room temperature
3/4    cup sour cream
1      tablespoon vanilla
1/4   cup crème de cacao (optional)

Directions
Over a double boiler, melt chocolate in a medium pan or bowl. Stir in the chocolate syrup, and then add the butter, stirring until blended. Take it off the heat and quickly stir in the vanilla and the beaten eggs. In a medium size bowl whisk the flour, sugar and salt until well mixed. Add the chocolate mixture stirring just enough to combine.

Preheat the oven to 350. Prep your 9" springform pan by using a bit of shortening or butter on the bottom and sides, then line with parchment paper. Leave a 2" edge above the top of the sides of the pan. Put 2/3 of the brownie mixture in the bottom of the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Scoop the other 1/3 of brownie mixture onto a piece of parchment paper and spread into an approximately 9" round disk. (This will cap your cheesecake.) Place disk in the freezer for 30 minutes, up to several hours. When the brownie bottom is done baking, cool it and place in the freezer also.

In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate, stirring frequently, until smooth. In mixer combine cream cheese, corn starch and sugar. Beat until well blended and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions and scraping down sides. Stir in sour cream, vanilla and crème de cacao, then add melted white chocolate. Stir until smooth.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into cooled, brownie-bottomed springform pan. Peel the paper from the frozen brownie topper disk and place gently on top of the cream cheese mixture. Put the pan into your still-hot oven for 25 minutes. Turn heat down to 200 and bake for 1 1/4 hours. Turn off oven and leave cake inside for 2-3 more hours. When cool, place in freezer for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Slice cake while still partially frozen.