Cappuccino Chocolate Cheesecake

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Ingredients:

Crust
1 9-oz. box chocolate wafer cookies
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
7 Tbs. hot, melted, unsalted butter

Ganache
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
20 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Kahlúa

Filling
32 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 Tbs. all purpose flour
2 Tbs. dark rum
2 Tbs. instant espresso
2 Tbs. ground espresso beans
1 Tbs. vanilla
2 tsp. light molasses
4 large eggs

Topping
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:
To make crust, finely grind cookies, chopped chocolate, brown sugar and nutmeg in food processor. Add butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together, scraping down bowl occasionally, about 1 minute. Transfer crumbs to 10-inch springform pan with 3 inch high sides. Wrap plastic wrap around fingers and press crumb mixture firmly up sides to within 1/2 inch of top edge, then over bottom.

Prepare ganache next. Bring whipping cream to simmer in large saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and Kahlúa. Whisk until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth. Pour 2 cups ganache over bottom of crust. Freeze until ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Reserve remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature to use later for creating lattice pattern.

To prepare filling, combine cream cheese and sugar in large mixing bowl and mix until blended. Beat in flour. Stir rum, espresso powder, ground espresso, vanilla and molasses in small bowl until instant coffee dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture. Beat in eggs, one at a time, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

Pour filling over cold ganache in crust. Place cheesecake on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until top is brown, puffed and cracked at edges, and center moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Cool 15 minutes while preparing topping (top of cheesecake will fall slightly). Maintain oven temperature.

For topping, whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour topping over hot cheesecake, spreading to cover filling completely. Bake until topping is set, about 10 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Refrigerate hot cheesecake on rack until cool, about 3 hours.

Run small sharp knife between crust and pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Spoon reserved ganache into pastry bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe 6 diagonal lines atop cheesecake, spacing 1 inch apart. Repeat in opposite direction, making lattice. Pipe rosettes of ganache around top edge of cake. Garnish with coffee beans, if desired. Chill until lattice is firm, at least 6 hours. Can be made 4 days ahead.

History:
This was the Valentine’s Day cover recipe in the February 2002 Bon Appetit.