Mocha Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

so this weekend was my friend's birthday! i wanted to bake her a birthday cake and decided to make.. her two favorite things together.. coffee and cheesecake! i got the recipe and decoration idea from the whimsical bakehouse by kaye and liv hansen (which is a really fun book! i'm only borrowing it from the library though. i think that the decorations get way too complicated for me to attempt.. i chose the easiest one. :P it's a fun book though, and the recipes seem great too. it's a good one to check out). i made it over 3 days.. and it was quite a bit of work! i first started by making my own cookies for the chocolate cookie crust.. and the next day i grinded up the cookies and made the crust and the cheesecake filling and baked it. the directions say for you to bake it in a water bath but i don't have any pans large enough to put my springform pan into.. so i just used a different method of baking and baked it at 500ºF for 10 min. and then 200ºF for another hour or so... it turned out fine! i read from cook's illustrated that this way provides for a more dense and firm cheesecake, which is what i prefer anyway. but my springform pan i don't think closed correctly and it started leaking in my oven!!!! it was a huge mess and i had to clean my oven afterward.... :( the book tells you to freeze the cheesecake before decorating, to help make it stable while you're decorating i guess. then on the last day i made a chocolate glaze, which actually isn't from that book but from alice medrich, and then melted down some chocolate and flicked my wrist away!! kept it in the refrigerator until i brought it to my friend's home and everybody was really impressed! it tastes better than it looks....... :) soooooo good. full of coffee, chocolate, and cream cheese flavor. creamy too!! the crust is delightful as well. i'm really happy with how it turned out.. despite the work and ..leakage! well worth it. and my friend LOVED it!! :D

the mocha chocolate chip cheesecake


decorated and waiting to be eaten


slices of goodness


aren't they cute??


MOCHA CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE
From The Whimsical Bakehouse

A customer once said our Mocha Chocolate Chip Cheesecake was better than sex. Decadent and rich in espresso flavor, this is an irresistible treat. If you are feeling lazy, you can purchase a plain chocolate cookie for your crust. If, however, you do make the cookies, any leftovers are great as sandwich cookies filled with jam, melted chocolate, or ice cream.

Chocolate Cookie Crust

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Grease a 10 x 3-inch round cake pan and line it on the bottom with parchment paper. Have all ingredients at room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, beat to combine:
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar

Add at medium low and beat until well combined:
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

On a piece of wax paper, sift together:
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt

Add all at once to the butter mixture and mix at low speed until combined.

Chill for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured board roll the dough into 2 logs. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and chill for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F Slice the chilled dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and arrange 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Let cool on a wire rack.

In a food processor finely chop enough cookies to make:
3 cups cookie crumbs

Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and add:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

Add and mix:
4 1/2 ounces (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) melted unsalted butter
Pour the crumb crust into the pan. Press firmly onto the bottom and one third of the way up the sides.

Filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have all ingredients at room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat at medium speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl often:
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese

Gradually beat in at medium speed:
1 1/2 cups sugar

Meanwhile, simmer in a saucepan:
1/2 cup heavy cream
Remove from the heat.

Add and stir to dissolve:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (I used 2 tbsp of instant coffee granules)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Add the heavy cream mixture to the cream cheese and beat on low to incorporate, scraping down as needed.
Add one at a time at low speed:
6 large eggs

Beat only until the eggs are fully incorporated. Pour the filling into the crust.
Scatter over the top of the filling:
1 1/4 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

Carefully swirl the chips into the filling with a small knife.
Place the pan in a larger pan and fill the larger pan halfway with hot water. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until lightly golden and set. Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before unmolding. To remove the cheesecake from the pan, run a paring knife around the edge of the cake, close to the pan so as not to break the crust. Cover the top of the cheesecake with plastic wrap and place a cake round or flat plate on top. Invert the cake onto the plate. Slowly lift off the cake pan and peel off the parchment paper. Place another cake round or plate on top (actually the bottom of the cheesecake) and invert again. Carefully peel the plastic wrap off without pulling off the skin of the cheesecake.