Perfect Chocolate Cheesecake

• 24 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup plus 5 tbsp sugar
• 3 eggs
• 6 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp cocoa powder
• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 box chocolate flavored “teddy bear” shaped graham crackers
• 1 bar chocolate for curls, garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease the inside of a 9″ springform baking pan. 
2. Grind chocolate teddy bear graham crackers in a food processor.  Add melted butter, 5 tbsp sugar and mix together until it forms a mold-able dough.  Press dough into a thin layer onto the bottom of the pan as well as up the sides.  Bake crust for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool. 
3. In a large bowl beat together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla extract.  Add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder and sour cream.  Beat on high until completely smooth and creamy.  Mix in eggs one at a time.  Make sure there are no lumps and the mixture is even, smooth and creamy for the best texture.  (The warm melted chocolate will help to smooth the mixture as it is creamed together.)
4. Spoon mixture into the springform pan and crust.  Prepare a water bath of 2 inches in a roasting pan.  Place springform pan in the water bath.  Baking the cheesecake in a water bath will help prevent the cake from cracking.  Place the whole thing in the oven. 
5. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, then turn heat down to 250°F and bake for an additional 45 minutes.  Turn off oven.  Open the oven door for one minute to let most of the heat out, then close the door and allow the cheesecake to carry-over cook (still inside the hot warm bath) for an additional hour in the oven (while it is off).  This makes for the perfect cheesecake texture and consistency.  Remove from oven, allow to cool further. 
6. Garnish the top with chocolate curls (peel curls off chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler).  Cover and place in the refrigerator.  Will keep up to one week.