Cinnamon And Coffee Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 9 or 10 inch springform pan.
• Combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, softened butter, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and the cinnamon. Mix well and press mixture into the buttered springform pan, set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup white sugar mixing until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat at low speed until very smooth.
• Melt the 8 ounces semisweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons whipping cream in a pan or bowl set over boiling water, stir until smooth.
• Add chocolate mixture to cream cheese mixture and blend well. Stir in sour cream, salt, coffee, 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
• Bake in the center of oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Center will be soft but will firm up when chilled. Do not over bake. Leave cake in oven with the heat turned off and the door ajar for 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and chill for 12 hours. Just before serving top cake with mounds of flavored whipped cream and garnish with chocolate leaves. Yields 16 servings.
• To Make Flavored Whipped Cream: Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form, then beat in confectioner's sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur.
• To Make Chocolate Leaves: Melt 1 ounce semisweet chocolate in a pan or bowl set over boiling water, stir until smooth. Brush real non-toxic plant leaves (such as orange leaves) on one side with melted chocolate. Freeze until firm and then peel off leaves. Freeze chocolate leaves until needed.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C (350F or Gas 4). Grease a 20 cm (8-in) rd spring-form cake tin & set aside.
• FOR BASE ~ Using a blender or magic bullet, crush the cookies to a fine crumb texture & combine w/melted butter in a bowl. Using the curved side of a lrg tbsp, press the mixture evenly onto the base of the prepared tin & chill while preparing the filling.
• FOR FILLING ~ Beat the cream cheese & cream in a bowl. Add eggs, flour, sugar, coffee & cinnamon. Beat together thoroughly & pour onto the cookie base.
• Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the cheesecake. Using the handle of a tsp, swirl the chocolate over the surface of the cheesecake to create a marbled effect.
• Bake for 50-60 min till firm. Leave to cool slowly in the oven w/the door ajar. When cooled, carefully release sides of spring-form tin & chill for at least 2 hrs b4 serving.
• NOTE #1: *DO NOT USE* a moist variety choc chip cookie for the base. I used a commercially bought pkg of the crunchy type & they were perfect for the base. A softer cookie will make the base too buttery & soft.
• NOTE #2: I did not have the right size spring-form pan, so I made mine in a 9-in pie plate but do not recommend this unless you are able to use a deep-dish pie plate of that size. I still had filling left after pouring it onto the base & up to 3/4-in from the rim, so I put the balance of filling in 2 ramekins.
• NOTE #3: The base & filling are both very quick & easy fixes, but I honestly found the marbling effect on the surface tedious for what it contributed. Choc is wonderful w/coffee, cinnamon & this cheesecake ~ but frankly a thin stream of choc syrup will do equally well for the taste & presentation.