Layered Mocha Cheesecake

This delectable dessert was adapted from Taste of Home (Feb/Mar 2008) issue. It was actually on the cover. It is truly a wonderful dessert - but I am writing the recipe with another topping, because the original, although tasty, was too hard to cut. Even though I do not like coffee, I still love this cheesecake. The coffee flavor is subtle and wonderfully partnered with chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I used Teddy Grahams, but you could use Oreos or chocolate graham crackers.)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
2-1/2 T. instant coffee granules
1 T. boiling water
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 t. vanilla extract

Glaze:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
1 ounce butter (2 T.)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottomof a greased 9-in. springform pan. In a small bowl, combine the coffee granules, water and cinnamon; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter in half. Stir melted chocolate into one portion; pour over crust. Stir coffee mixture into the remaining batter; spoon over chocolate layer.

Place pan on a baking sheet (to catch spills). Bake for 45-55 minutes or until center is just set and top appearts dull. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to losen; cool 1 hour longer. Rerigerate overnight.

In a microwave safe bowl, bring butter and cream to a boil. Stir in chocolate until melted. Add vanilla and sugar. Pour over cheesecake and chill until set. Refrigerate leftovers.

This delectable dessert was adapted from Taste of Home (Feb/Mar 2008) issue. It was actually on the cover. It is truly a wonderful dessert - but I am writing the recipe with another topping, because the original, although tasty, was too hard to cut. Even though I do not like coffee, I still love this cheesecake. The coffee flavor is subtle and wonderfully partnered with chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I used Teddy Grahams, but you could use Oreos or chocolate graham crackers.)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
2-1/2 T. instant coffee granules
1 T. boiling water
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 t. vanilla extract

Glaze:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
1 ounce butter (2 T.)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottomof a greased 9-in. springform pan. In a small bowl, combine the coffee granules, water and cinnamon; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter in half. Stir melted chocolate into one portion; pour over crust. Stir coffee mixture into the remaining batter; spoon over chocolate layer.

Place pan on a baking sheet (to catch spills). Bake for 45-55 minutes or until center is just set and top appearts dull. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to losen; cool 1 hour longer. Rerigerate overnight.

In a microwave safe bowl, bring butter and cream to a boil. Stir in chocolate until melted. Add vanilla and sugar. Pour over cheesecake and chill until set. Refrigerate leftovers.