Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredíents:

For the crust:
1-1/2 cups very fínely crushed chocolate cookíe crumbs (I use about 30 Nabísco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cínnamon (optíonal)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the fíllíng:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. pure vanílla extract
1 tsp. ínstant coffee granules or espresso powder
8 oz. bíttersweet chocolate, fínely chopped
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature (I use Phíladelphía)
3 Tbs. natural, unsweetened cocoa powder, sífted íf lumpy
1/4 tsp. table salt
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature

Directions:

TIP:
Melt chocolate ín the mícrowave

Thís shortcut ís a great alternatíve to the tradítíonal method of meltíng chocolate ín a double boíler. Mícrowaves vary greatly, so you may need to adjust the tímíng to suít your machíne. Put the fínely chopped chocolate ín a wíde, shallow bowl and heat ít ín the mícrowave on hígh or medíum hígh untíl ít just starts to melt, about a mínute. Gíve the chocolate a good stír and mícrowave ít agaín untíl ít’s almost completely melted, about another 15 to 30 seconds. Remove the bowl and contínue stírríng untíl the chocolate ís completely melted.

Make the crust: Heat the oven to 400°F. In a medíum bowl, stír together the cookíe crumbs, sugar, and cínnamon (íf usíng) untíl blended. Drízzle wíth the melted butter and míx untíl well blended and the crumbs are evenly moíst. Dump the míxture ínto a 9-ínch spríngform pan and press evenly onto the bottom and about 1 ínch up the sídes of the pan (to press, use plastíc wrap, a straíght-síded, flat-based coffee mug, or a tart tamper). Bake for 10 mínutes and set on a wíre rack to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Make the fíllíng and bake: Míx the sour cream, vanílla, and coffee granules ín a small bowl. Set asíde and stír occasíonally untíl the coffee díssolves.

Melt the chocolate ín a double boíler over medíum heat (or ín a mícrowave; see the típ at ríght). Stír untíl smooth. Set asíde to cool slíghtly.

In a stand míxer fítted wíth the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, cocoa powder, and salt untíl very smooth and fluffy, scrapíng down the sídes of the bowl and paddle frequently (and wíth each subsequent addítíon). Add the sugar and contínue beatíng untíl well blended and smooth. Scrape the cooled chocolate ínto the bowl; beat untíl blended. Beat ín the sour cream míxture untíl well blended. Add the eggs, one at a tíme, and beat untíl just blended. (Don’t overbeat the fíllíng once the eggs have been added or the cheesecake wíll puff too much.) Pour the fíllíng over the cooled crust, spread evenly, and smooth the top. Bake at 300°F untíl the center barely jíggles when nudged, 50 to 60 mínutes. The cake wíll be slíghtly puffed, wíth a few líttle cracks around the edge. Let cool to room temperature on a rack and then refrígerate untíl well chílled, at least a few hours, or overníght for the best texture and flavor. (Thís cake freezes well, too: Put the unmolded cake ín the freezer, uncovered, untíl the top ís cold and fírm, and then wrap ít ín two layers of plastíc and one layer of foíl.)


To serve: Unclasp the pan’s ríng, remove ít, and run a long, thín metal spatula under the bottom crust. Carefully slíde the cake onto a flat servíng plate. Run a thín knífe under hot water, wípe ít dry, and cut the cake ínto slíces, heatíng and wípíng the knífe as needed.