Black Pepper and Black Cherry Marble Cheesecake
 
 
Sweet tart cherries and tangy goat cheese make this black pepper and black cherry marble cheesecake extra decadent.
Yield: 1 10-inch cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust
  • 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp salt
For the filling
  • 1 lb fresh cherries
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 lb chevre
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper, finely ground
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp kirsch
  • ½ tsp almond extract
For the assembly
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
  1. To make the crust, heat oven to 325F. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with baking spray.
  2. In a double boiler, combine the chocolate and butter and heat over simmering water until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt and whisk until combined. Continue to mix and scrape the sides until the cocoa powder is mixed into the batter.
  4. With the mixer on low, pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the rest of the batter.
  6. For the filling, pit half of the cherries and place them in a large bowl.
  7. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over a double boiler, stirring constantly until the chocolate is just melted. Turn off the heat.
  8. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the chevre, sugar, salt, and pepper and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Stir in the cornstarch.
  9. Transfer one third of the batter to a separate bowl and stir in the melted chocolate. To the rest of the batter, add the kirsch and almond extract.
  10. Pour the kirsch batter onto the prepared crust. Transfer the chocolate batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Insert the pastry tip halfway into the kirsch batter and pipe dollops of chocolate batter all along the outside of the cake. Pipe a few onto the middle of the cake. Using a skewer or toothpick, swirl the batters to create a marble effect. Push the pitted cherries into the batter using the same skewer.
  11. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the middle of the cheesecake is almost set. Turn the oven off and, sticking a spoon in the door, allow the cake to rest in the cooling oven for 20 minutes. Cool completely in the refrigerator.
  12. To assemble, whip together the heavy cream and confectioner's sugar until stiff peaks form. Swirl the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake. Top with the remaining cherries. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 slice
Recipe by Joanne Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2015/06/black-pepper-and-black-cherry-marble-cheesecake.html