Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups oreo cookie crumbs (process 18 to 20 oreo cookies in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until finely ground)
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature (philadelphia brand preferred)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur, such as kahlua
• 4 large eggs

Recipe

• 1 to make crust: melt butter in saucepan and then add cookie crumbs. blend thoroughly; mixture will seem dry. pat into a greased 9- or 10-inch springform pan and ½ inch up the side.
• 2 to make filling: preheat oven to 300 degrees. use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until fairly smooth and well blended. add melted chocolate and liqueur; mix well. add 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just blended.
• 3 pour filling into crust, then "chop" batter with a knife or spoon to remove air bubbles. place a larger pan filled with hot water on lower rack of oven and set cheesecake on rack above it in center of the oven. bake 1 hour or until center is almost set. remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
• 4 remove side of pan and chill 3 to 4 hours before serving. for easier slicing, cut with a knife that has been rinsed in warm water. dental floss also works like a dream for cutting slices in advance.