The tang of the goat cheese perfectly balances the richness of chocolate in this biscotti-crusted cheesecake. Serve it as is or gild the lily with a little chocolate sauce drizzled on top. Choose a moist local chèvre with a low salt content.
For lump-free cakes, mix the cream cheese briefly before adding anything else. This helps to soften it up a little so it blends more smoothly with the other ingredients. Scrape the bowl frequently while mixing. After each ingredient is added and mixed, stop the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
If all else fails and you notice that the batter seems lumpy after all of the ingredients have been added and mixed together, pass the batter through a fine strainer before pouring it into the pans.
If you’ve baked the cake for the recommended amount of time and it’s still not set in the middle, turn off the oven and leave it in for an extra 10 to 20 minutes. It won’t overbake, and you can be sure that it’s done.
This recipe is best made a day ahead to allow for complete cooling. They can also be made up to a month ahead and frozen. Wrap well, first in a layer of plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. To defrost, let them sit in the refrigerator overnight.