Brownie Cheesecake (Low Carb & Gluten Free)

Brownie Base:
1/2 cup butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
pinch salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated erythritol
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Cheesecake Filling:
1 lb cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated erythritol
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1) For the brownie base, preheat oven to 325F and butter a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap bottom of pan in foil.
2) In a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup, melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 30 second increments. Whisk until smooth. Alternatively, you can melt them together over low heat in a small saucepan.
3) In a small bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder and salt.
4) In a large bowl, beat eggs, granulated erythritol and vanilla extract until smooth. Beat in almond flour mixture, then butter/chocolate mixture, until smooth. Stir in nuts.
5) Spread evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.
6) For the filling, reduce oven temperature to 300F.
7) In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs, granulated erythritol, cream and vanilla extract until well combined.
8) Pour filling over crust and place cheesecake on a large cookie sheet. Bake until edges are set and center just barely jiggles, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
9) Run a knife around edges to loosen and then remove sides of pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
10) Serve with sugar-free chocolate sauce or ganache.

Review: Mike has been super serious about maintaining a low carb diet. So, what happens when it's time for birthday celebrations? He finds a special recipe to try. I had several dirty bowls and the kitchen was pretty wrecked, but I wanted to make sure the birthday was special. A few notes about making the cake: definitely line the springform pan with non-stick foil (I didn't, as I didn't want to mess up my spill-proof feature) as this sticks and I had to bake for just a little over 45 minutes. The cake was a little difficult to slice and the pieces were dense. The adults liked it, but the kids didn't. It does have a heavy, eggy, Stevia flavor. It's great if you're used to the low-carb/keto diet, and a wonderful treat!

Adapted from:
http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/02/brownie-cheesecake-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html