Thierry Delourneaux has been Executive Pastry Chef at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, since October 2006. As master of the famous hotel’s dessert menus, he delights guests with chocolate creations, such as his Chocolate Pecan Cheesecake, that are imaginatively detailed and presented—and deeply chocolate. “I prefer using Valrhona because the chocolate flavor is stronger compared with other chocolates,” he says. (Read article on Chef Delourneaux.)

 

Chocolate Pecan Cheese Cake

Shell
1 1/2 c. Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 c. sugar
1 c pecan pieces
3/4 stick (6 tbsp.) unsalted sweet butter, melted

Filling
2 lbs. cream cheese, softened
1 lb granulated sugar
5 lg. Eggs
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/4 c. heavy cream

 Topping
2 c. sour cream
1 tbsp. Sugar
3 tbsp. cacao powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Decorate
Shell: Combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, pecan pieces, and butter until mixture resembles meal. Press mixture onto bottom and 1inch up the sides of a buttered 9-inch spring form pan that is 3 inches deep. Chill shell for one hour.

Filling: In large bowl with an electric mixer beat the cheese until it is smooth, beat in granulated sugar, a little at a time. Beat mixture until it is fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and the cream and beat the filling until it is combined well. Pour filling into pan and bake in the middle of a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes.

Spread sour cream mixture over cheese cake and bake it for another 5 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack and chill it covered overnight. Remove sides of the pan, transfer the cheese cake to a serving plate and garnish with pecans.

 

Edited by Patricia D Sherman