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Ingredients

1 cup Graham cracker crumbs or Oreo cookie crumbs
1 oz. Butter, melted
1 tsp. Sugar, granulated
8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Sugar, granulated
8 oz. Sour cream
2 Eggs, large
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 cup Dark chocolate chips
Sweetened whipped cream to garnish
Toasted sliced almonds to garnish
Cocoa powder to garnish
Chef Larry's Chocolate Heart Decorations to garnish (procedure follows)
Strawberry Sauce for service (recipe follows)

Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine Graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Mix until crumbs stay together when pressed. Divide graham cracker crumbs into a 4-inch individual cake pans. Press evenly over the bottom and half way up the sides of the pans. Place crumb crusts in oven and bake for 7–8 minutes at 325 degrees F. Remove and cool.

Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix until fluffy. Add sour cream in intervals mixing only until well incorporated. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour mixture over crumb crusts and bake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees F. Cool cheesecakes at room temperature and chill in refrigerator overnight.

Remove cheesecakes from pans and place on serving plates. Top with sweetened whipped cream and Chef Larry's Chocolate Heart Decorations. Garnish with toasted sliced almonds and Chef Larry's Strawberry Sauce. Dust wuth cocoa powder and serve.

Makes 4-6 individual cheesecakes

Chef Larry's Chocolate Heart Decorations
Ingredients

1/4 lb. Dark bittersweet chocolate

Equipment Needed

1 Small saucepan
1 Stainless steel mixing bowl (to fit over saucepan)
1 Probe thermometer with range of 60 - 120 degrees F
1 sheet Parchment or waxed paper
1 Parchment piping cone
1 Paper sheet with hearts drawn on it (stencil)
Tape as needed
1 Small metal spatula

Method
Place the small saucepan with water over low heat. Bring water to just under a simmer. With a clean dry knife, carefully chop chocolate into small pieces. To temper chocolate, place two-thirds of the chocolate in the mixing bowl and place on top of the saucepan with water. Using a large spoon or heat resistant rubber spatula, stir chocolate as it melts. Melt chocolate to 118-120 degrees F and remove from heat. Add remaining 1/3 chocolate to melted chocolate and stir (when all of the chocolate has melted together the temperature should be 88 degrees F).

Tape stencil with hearts to table or counter. Place parchment paper over stencil. Place tempered chocolate in piping cone, close and snip tip to allow chocolate to come out. Carefully pipe chocolate hearts onto parchment paper until stencil as a guide. Place piped hearts in a cool dry place until set. When set, carefully remove hearts with a small metal spatula and use to decorate Chef Larry's Valentine's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

Makes 10-12 each

Chef Larry Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients

1 cup Ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup Orange juice
1 T. Sugar
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Method
Place strawberries, orange juice, sugar and lemon in a blender. Puree until smooth. Strain and reserve until use.

Makes 1 cup