Dark chocolate and rum are incredible flavors on their own, but when the two are infused together, you know something magical is about to happen. That was my first thought when we came across this Exotic Cocoa Dark Chocolate Rum while on vacation in Roatan.
This little island off the coast of Honduras is home to the
Roatan Rum Company, makers of several varieties of insanely good infused rum. Upon entering the shop, you could smell the beautiful aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, and spices. And then things got really interesting. We were offered samples of their Roatan Rum Cakes, which are pound cakes infused with Spiced Rum, Banana Rum and 151 Rum, which were all delicious. To make this visit even better, they offered samples of their infused rums.
After sampling several varieties, and enjoying every single sip, we had a tough decision to make. We were only allowed to take 2 bottles back aboard the ship, so we chose the The Spiced Rum and the Cocoa Rum. I could not wait to get home and start making some delicious new recipes with these rums.
My first thought for the Cocoa Rum was truffles, and then I started thinking about a chocolate cheesecake. So after combining a couple of recipes, we came up with this version. A crust of graham crackers and cashews, and the cheesecake a swirled mixture of half chocolate and half vanilla filling.
This is definitely an adult version of cheesecake with a less sweet and more flavorful taste, but the kids liked it just as much as we did. The creamy texture had just enough rum flavor and the cashews in the crust brought out that island flavor.
If you ever get a chance to visit Roatan, this is one stop that you won't want to miss. Above are the rums we brought home and we can't wait to make more delicious recipes with these.
This is the retail shop for the
Roatan Rum Company, and the spectacular view from their door. I think a second visit to this beautiful island is in our future..lol.
Enjoy!!
To Make the Crust
1-1/2 cups Cinnamon Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup Ground Cashews
5 TB Unsalted Butter, melted
To Make the Cheesecake Filling
6 oz Dark Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Cocoa Rum (or your favorite rum)
1 lb Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 TB Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 8-1/2 inch springform pan, making sure to butter the sides. Cover the outside of the pan with heavy duty foil, shiny side out and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, cashews and butter, stirring with a fork to moisten the crumbs. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the springform pan and about half way up on the sides. Refrigerate until ready to use.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and rum and stir until the chips are melted, about 2 - 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Using a stand mixer or a large metal bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add the sugar and continue to blend, then add the sour cream and vanilla and blend until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Heat a medium saucepan of water to a low simmer. Place the mixer bowl over the simmering water and allow the steam to slowly warm the cream cheese batter, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.
Dip 1-1/2 cups of the cream cheese batter into another bowl and set aside. Add the chocolate mixture to the remaining batter and whisk until blended. Set the bowl back over the simmering water and stir until smooth.
Pour the chocolate batter into the springform pan, smoothing to the edges. Next pour the plain batter over the chocolate, swirling the plain batter into the center of the chocolate.
Bake the cheesecake for 45 to 50 minutes or until set around the edges and the center is still slightly loose. (The center might seem a bit under set, but it will firm as the cheesecake cools.) Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, remove the outer ring from the pan and refrigerate overnight.