Chocolate covered cheesecake is a type of dessert that is made from a rich, cheese-based cake that is coated in melted chocolate. In many cases, small pieces of cheesecake will be used so that each chocolate covered piece is bite-sized. Other times, whole slices of cheesecake may be dipped in chocolate and then eaten like a popsicle or lollipop. Chocolate can also be poured over the top of a finished cheesecake or used in lieu of a crust, making it possible to cover an entire cheesecake with chocolate before cutting it into slices to serve. Both chocolate and cheesecake have been eaten for thousands of years, though they were combined only relatively recently.
The main component of chocolate covered cheesecake is the cheesecake itself. There are many different variations on this dessert, though all of them use a mild-flavored cheese, such as cream cheese or ricotta. The cheese is usually mixed with eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cream or sour cream and then baked in a crust that is often made from crumbled cookies or graham crackers. Eggs can be omitted from the recipe, however, and the cheesecake placed in the refrigerator to set. Flavored cheesecakes, such as pumpkin, strawberry, and chocolate are also common, and any of these can be used in a chocolate covered cheesecake.
Once a cheesecake has been made, it must be encased in chocolate in order to become a chocolate covered cheesecake. Milk or dark chocolate pieces are melted and then either poured over the top of an entire cheesecake or used as a dip for cheesecake pieces. Once the cheesecake is coated with melted chocolate, it must be cooled so that the chocolate solidifies and forms a firm coating around it. It is also possible to use melted chocolate instead of a cookie crumb based crust by pouring chocolate into a pan before pouring in the cheesecake and allowing the cake it to set in the refrigerator.
One common preparation of chocolate covered cheesecake is in the form of bite-sized pieces. In order to make these, a large cheese cake is cut into small cubes which can then be dipped into a bowl of melted chocolate. Once the chocolate has cooled the bite-sized pieces can be eaten out of the hand. Alternatively, slices of cheesecake, which are usually wedge-shaped, can be covered in chocolate and then eaten off of popsicle sticks or with a fork.