Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert

This is a day-before  recipe from a Duncan Hines Deep Chocolate Cake Mix box circa  the early 70's, before cheesecakes  dominated the American dessert scene. It immediately became a favorite, and despite becoming more sophisticated about 'real' cheesecakes, still holds a spot in our hearts. I've just tagged it as 'cheesecake dessert' so you won't expect it to look or taste  like an ordinary cheesecake. It's a retro  milk-chocolate-y wonder on its' own terms.

Preheat the oven to 300. From a box of Deep Chocolate* Cake Mix (just choose the
darkest chocolate mix you can, any brand will do), set aside 1 cup. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the mix with 1 egg and 1 TB vegetable (not olive!) oil. The mixture will be dry and crumbly. Press it into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

In the same bowl (don't bother to wash it) blend 16 oz softened cream cheese with 1/2 c. sugar, Add 3 eggs and the reserved cup of cake mix. Beat 1-2 minutes, be sure there are no lumps. Then, slowly, add 1-/2 cups milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix til smooth, pour onto crust and bake at 300 for 55-65 minutes. The center should look pretty firm.

Let cool, then refrigerate overnight. It is not ready to eat, it really does need to mellow first. Top with whipped cream or a tub of cool whip and some chocolate curls, sprinkles, crumbs, a chcolate-dipped strawberry, or whatever. Cut in squares.

Duncan Hines trivia:    There is a permanent exhibit at the Kentucky Museum in Bowling Green, KY, called "Recommended by Duncan Hines".  Hines was a traveling salesman who kept a journal of places where he dined while on the road. ( Not having access to a blog , ha!) in 1936 he published it as a book "Adventures in Good Eating" and later followed it with a guide to hotels called "Recommended by Duncan Hines" and thus became a hospitality-industry status symbol--- sort of a "Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval" for the hospitality industry.
Pretty soon he was endorsing all sorts of food products from spices to cake mixes, and thus the DH brand evolved.

Chocolate Brownie Chunk Cheesecake

A longtime family favorite,  this  rich, dense chocolately  dessert needs to be made the day before.

Preheat oven to 350, lightly spray a 9" springform pan. Finely crush 20 oreos, mix with 3 TB. melted butter or margarine, and press onto the bottom of the pan.

Melt 12 oz. chocolate chips, let cool. Chop some brownies in 1/2" to 1" chunks --- you'll need 1 1/2 cups. I find that using Little Debbie brownies, which I would ordinarily not eat, is convenient and works just fine, but use whatever's handy.

In a food processor, whir 24 oz. cream cheese until smooth, then add 1 c. sugar, 3 eggs, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp. vanilla, 8 oz. sour cream, blend.
Add the melted chocolate.

Stir in the brownie chunks - you'll probably need to use a larger bowl. Pour onto the crust and bake  for 55-60 minutes or until firm....center will continue to firm more as it cools. Don't worry about cracks, like wrinkles, they add character! Refrigerate overnight, covered. Add whipped cream and/or piles of chocolate curls as garnish.