Chocolate-Coffee Cheesecake With Mocha Sauce

Submitted by: Carol C

From Sharon Collison, Newark, Delaware
Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2005


Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream, fresh raspberries, and fresh mint sprigs, if desired.

3 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers (about 20 sheets)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
4 (8-ounce) packages PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup DOMINO Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
4 (1-ounce) bittersweet baking chocolate squares
Mocha Sauce (recipe follows)

Stir together crushed graham crackers and butter; press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add liqueur, coffee granules, and vanilla, beating at low speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition.

Remove and reserve 1 cup cream cheese mixture. Pour remaining batter into prepared crust.

Microwave chocolate squares in a medium-size glass bowl 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds; let cool slightly. Stir reserved 1 cup cream cheese mixture into melted chocolate, blending well. Spoon chocolate mixture in lines on top of batter in pan; gently swirl with a knife.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Remove sides of springform pan. Serve with Mocha Sauce.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Kahlúa for coffee liqueur.

Yield: Makes 8 servings


Mocha Sauce

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

Cook first 3 ingredients in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in coffee. Serve warm.

Yield: Makes 1 1/2 cups