Blue Cheese Cheesecake with Chocolate Cookie Crust

I love chocolate and cheese, and I'm looking forward to the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, where the entire Moscone Convention Center will be filled with chocolate and cheese from all over the world. Yes, there will be other fancy foods and beverages, but I have my priorities. I will be writing about the show over the next few days, but in the meantime I want to share this great recipe for Blue Cheese Cheesecake. I use a Chocolate Cookie Crust, of course.  

Chocolate and Blue Cheese go well together. I've made Blue Cheese Truffles on numerous occasions, and I love them. If this is your first foray into the combination, choose a mild creamy blue cheese. If you're not sure, ask your cheese specialist.

BLUE CHEESE CHEESECAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CRUST

Chocolate Cookie Crust:

Ingredients
30 chocolate wafers (Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers-1 1/2 cups crumbs)
5 tablespoons sweet butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract

Directions
1. Process cookies in food processor until finely ground.
2. Transfer crumbs to mixing bowl & combine crumbs, butter, salt, and vanilla. Stir until crumbs are moistened.
3. Press mixture evenly across bottom of 9-inch springform pan and all the way up sides of pan. Pack tightly so crust is even.
4. Bake in 350° oven for 6-8 minutes or until crisp.
5. Let cool completely before filling. You can put it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

For the Cheesecake:
1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
10 ounces Blue Cheese, room temperature (I've used Humboldt Fog)
3 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch cracked black pepper

Directions
1. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add blue cheese; beat until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape bowl. Add sour cream, honey, salt and pepper. Beat until combined.
2. Pour into cooled prepared Chocolate Cookie Crust. Bake 40 to 45 minutes in a 325° oven or until set and knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature in pan.