Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 12 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 16 ounces neufchatel cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup brewed coffee (hot)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• dark chocolate, grated (optional)
• chocolate-covered coffee beans (optional)

Recipe

• 1 make the chocolate crust:.
• 2 preheat oven to 325°f.
• 3 tightly wrap bottom of 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• 4 mix together cookie crumbs and melted butter in bowl until combined.
• 5 press mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
• 6 refrigerate crust while preparing filling.
• 7 make the filling:.
• 8 place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl.
• 9 microwave on medium (50% power) for 1 minute. stir.
• 10 microwave 30 seconds more or until chocolate is softened. stir until smooth and let cool.
• 11 beat cream cheese in mixing bowl until creamy, using electric mixer at low speed.
• 12 gradually add sugar and beat until blended.
• 13 add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
• 14 dissolve salt in hot coffee.
• 15 at low speed, slowly beat in the coffee.
• 16 beat in vanilla and melted chocolate until blended.
• 17 pour mixture over crust.
• 18 place cheesecake in roasting pan.
• 19 pour boiling water into roasting pan so that the water comes halfway up the side of the springform pan.
• 20 bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until center is firm.
• 21 leave cheesecake in the oven and turn off the oven.
• 22 prop oven door open and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
• 23 remove cheesecake from roasting pan.
• 24 cool cheesecake in the pan on wire rack.
• 25 when cheesecake is cooled, cover pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• 26 make the whipped cream topping:.
• 27 loosen edge of cheesecake with a knife. remove side of springform pan.
• 28 beat cream, sugar and vanilla in mixing bowl until stiff peaks form, using electric mixer at medium speed.
• 29 reserve 1 cup whipped cream for garnish.
• 30 spread remaining cream over top of cheesecake.
• 31 sprinkle with grated chocolate.
• 32 fill a pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip (such as ateco #5) with reserved whipped cream.
• 33 pipe a border of rosettes around edge of cheesecake.
• 34 decorate with chocolate coffee beans.
• 35 cut cheesecake into wedges.