Espresso cheesecake - bon appetit

10 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ cup Finely chopped husked toasted hazelnuts
⅓ cup Sugar
1 cup Freshly brewed espresso coffee
3 8-oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
1⅓ cup Sugar
1½ tablespoon Cornstarch
¼ tablespoon Salt
3 larges Eggs, room temperature
3 larges Egg yolks, room temperature
3 tablespoons Unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup Half and half
¼ cup Fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Coffee liqueur
1½ tablespoon Grated lemon peel
½ tablespoon Vanilla extract
Whipped cream
Chocolate coffee bean candies* (opt.)

Directions

CRUST

FILLING

For crust: Preheat oven to 325'F. Wrap foil around bottom and up out, sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Mix all ingredients in medium bowl until well blended. Press crust into bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on rack.

For filling: Boil coffee in heavy small saucepan until reduced to ¼ cup. Cool completely. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch and salt in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs and yolks 1 at a time, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Mix in espresso, half and half, lemon juice, liqueur, lemon peel and vanilla. Pour filling into crust. Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 325'F. Insert toothpick into any air bubbles that appear on surface of cheesecake. Place cheesecake in large baking pan. Add enough cold water to pan to come ¼ inch up sides of cheesecake. Bake until cake edges are set but center still moves slightly when pan is gently shaken, approximately 1½ hours.

Remove cheesecake from water bath. Discard foil. Transfer cake to rack and cool. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.) Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe rosettes of cream around top edge of cheesecake. Top each rosette with coffee bean and serve.

*Candies are available at candy shops and some specialty foods stores.

Bon Appetit/August/89 Scanned & fixed by Di and Gary

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