Bacon and stout chocolate cheesecake with hot fudge sauce

This may sound like a ridiculous recipe, but I just love watching my friends having their first bite of this cheesecake and immediately raising their eyebrows in disbelief that bacon does actually work in a dessert. Bacon, stout, chocolate — Man Food to the max.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 bacon slices

250ml thickened cream

2 tablespoons caster sugar

CRUST BASE

500g oreo cookies, cream scraped off and set aside

2 tablespoons caster sugar

50g unsalted butter, melted

CHEESECAKE FILLING

250ml stout

1 tablespoon instant espresso granules

200g dark chocolate, chopped

500g cream cheese, softened

230g caster sugar

3 eggs

40g unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons plain flour

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

100g dark chocolate, chopped

30g butter

210g sweetened condensed milk

METHOD

To make the base, put the cookies and sugar in a food processor and blend until the mixture forms fine crumbs. With the food processor still running, slowly pour in the butter in a steady stream and process until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Preheat the oven to 175ºC. Grease a 22 cm spring-form cake tin and line the base and side with baking paper.

Tip the processed crumbs into the tin. Using a flat-based glass, press the crumbs evenly over the cake tin base and about 5 cm up the side, making sure it is well compacted. Refrigerate to let it set while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling, heat the stout and espresso granules in a saucepan over a medium–high heat until hot, but without boiling. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and let it stand for 30 seconds, then stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is well combined. Set aside to cool.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Turn the mixer speed down to low, pour the chocolate mixture into the batter and beat until well combined. Fold the cocoa powder and flour into the batter until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared crust, then tap the tin gently on the work surface to get rid of any air bubbles and level the surface. Wrap the base and side of the tin in two layers of foil, then place it in a deep roasting tin. Pour boiling water into the tin until the water reaches halfway up the side of the spring-form tin. Make sure there are no tears or holes in the foil; if there are, the water may seep into the tin and you will end up with a soggy crust base.

Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour. It should be just set but still slightly wobbly in the centre. Turn the oven off, remove the cake tin from the water bath, then put the cake tin back in the oven to let it continue cooking for another hour. Remove from the oven and let it rest on the work surface until it is completely cool. Cover the tin with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to set and let the flavours develop.

To make the hot fudge sauce, melt the chocolate and butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir to combine. Add the condensed milk and keep stirring until fully incorporated, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Remove the tin from the cheesecake. Pour the chocolate sauce over the cheesecake, tilting the cheesecake in a circular motion to spread the sauce evenly, let it set for 15 minutes. Remove the tin and paper lining from the base of the cheesecake and place on a serving plate or board.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel, then chop finely.

Whisk the cream and sugar in a bowl until medium–stiff peaks form. Pipe the whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake and sprinkle with the bacon.

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