Categories: Cheesecake, Dessert
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Filling:
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 (8 ounce) packages neufchatel cheese
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped and toasted
- 2 teaspoons coffee-flavored liqueur
- Coffee-Flavored Syrup:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
- Additional:
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped and toasted
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350°; Grease a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
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Crust-In a food processor, pulse crumbs, sugar, espresso powder, and cinnamon until fine.
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Pour butter through feed tube and pulse until combined; press into prepared pan and freeze.
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Filling-in a saucepan, heat 2 t milk, espresso powder, and butter until butter melts; set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat Neufchatel cheese, cream cheese, and sugar on med-high speed for 3 minutes.
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Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
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Decrease speed to low, add milk, hazelnuts, liqueur, and espresso mixture.
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Pour over frozen crust.
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Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top is light brown; cool for 2 hours; cover and refrigerate for 6 hours before decorating.
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Syrup- In a saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, about 5-8 minutes or until sugar is dissolved (make sure you heat sugar and water to a full boil and cook until sugar is dissolved or the sugar may crystallize).
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Remove from heat and add liqueur; cool.
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Syrup will keep in a covered container in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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To serve-slide a slice on a plate; pour 2 T syrup on top and sprinkle with hazelnuts.