Chocolate-coffee Cheesecake With Mocha Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup coffee liqueur
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 4 (1 ounce) bittersweet chocolate squares
• 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine
• 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

Recipe

• 1 in a bowl, stir the crushed graham crackers and butter together; press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
• 2 bake in a 350° oven for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack; decrease oven temp to 325°.
• 3 in a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed using an electric mixer until blended.
• 4 add in liqueur, coffee granules, and vanilla, beating at low speed until well blended.
• 5 add in eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition.
• 6 remove and reserve 1 cup cream cheese mixture; pour remaining batter into prepared crust.
• 7 microwave chocolate squares in a medium bowl 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds; let cool slightly.
• 8 stir reserved 1 cup cream cheese mixture into melted chocolate, blending well.
• 9 spoon chocolate mixture in lines on top of batter in pan; gently swirl with a knife.
• 10 *(optional) if you want to bake this in a water bath--place cheesecake/pan in a large rectangular baking pan filled with 2 inches of hot water (water bath); place in oven.
• 11 bake at 325° for 1 hour or until almost set; turn oven off.
• 12 let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 30 minutes.
• 13 remove cheesecake from oven (and water bath, if using) and gently run a knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan; cool on a wire rack.
• 14 cover and chill at least 4 hours.
• 15 remove sides of springform pan; serve with mocha sauce.
• 16 to make the mocha sauce: add chocolate morsels, whipping cream, and butter to a small saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
• 17 remove from heat; stir in coffee; serve warm.