-CRUST-
8 1/2 oz Butter biscuit cookies
1/2 c Hazelnuts; toasted, husked
2 tb Sugar
1 ts Cinnamon
5 tb Unsalted butter; melted
FILLING
2 lb Cream cheese; room
-temperature (lowfat OK)
1 1/4 c Sugar
4 lg Eggs
1 c Sour cream
1/2 c Plus 2/3 cup chilled
-whipping cream
3 tb Instant espresso powder
2 tb Warm water
2 ts Vanilla
3/4 c Hazelnuts toasted; husked,
-coarsely chopped
Chocolate covered espresso
-beans for garnish
For Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter bottom and sides
of 9″ diameter springform pan with 2 3/4″ high sides. Carefully wrap
outside of pan with double layer of foil. Finely grind cookies, hazelnuts,
sugar, and cinnamon in processor. Add butter: process until moist clumps
form. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of pan. Chill while
preparing filling.
For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until
well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended and
scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream and 1/2
cup cream. Stir espresso powder and 2 tablespoons water in small bowl until
powder dissolves. Add to filling and beat until blended. Beat in vanilla
and stir in nuts. Pour filling into prepared pan. Place in large baking
pan. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of
springform pan. Bake cake until tip is puffed and center is almost set,
about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven; open door slightly. Let cake
stand in oven with door ajar 1 hour. Remove pan from water; transfer to
rack. Cool. Wrap in foil and chill overnight. (can be made 3 days ahead.
Keep chilled.)
Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen cheesecake. Remove pan sides.
Beat 2/3 cup cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Spoon whipped
cream into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe around top edge of
cake. Garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans.
Yields
14 Servings