Shelly's Recipe

TRIPLE-DECKER CHOCOLATE, COFFEE AND TOFFEE CHEESECAKE

Category: Cheesecake

Chocolate Crumb Crust
Butter for pan
2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling
2 lbs cream cheese, softened 3 to 4 hours at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tbsp flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp whipping cream, at room temperature
2 tsps instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp whipping cream
2/3 cup (2, 1.4 oz bars) crushed toffee, such as Skor or Heath Bars
6 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate such as Lindt, Schaffenburger, or Guittard, chopped

Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 325. Butter 9-inch springform pan with sides at least 2 3/4 inches high. Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter, combining well. Press crumb mixture evenly over bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Wrap outside of pan with 1 large piece of heavy foil, making a water tight seal. Bake for 6 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

Water Bath: Before you start the cheesecake batter, you should get everything ready for the water bath. You'll need a roasting pan that's big enough to hold the spring form pan in both width and height.

While preparing the cheesecake, boil a large kettle or pot full of water. Preheat the oven to 325.

Prepare filling: Cream the cream cheese in large bowl on low speed until smooth for 1 minute. Add sugar and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scape bowl and beater. Mix in flour and mix just until the flour disappears. Add eggs, 2 at time, mixing until batter is smooth and no traces of egg can be seen, about 1 minute. Mix in vanilla and cream for about 30 seconds.

Get 2 medium sized bowls. Pour 2 cups batter into each of bowl. Stir dissolved coffee into mixture in one of the medium bowls and stir well, until the mixture is an even color. Set aside. Mix the crushed toffee into batter in second medium bowl, mix well, and set aside.

Mix melted chocolate into the batter that is left in the mixing bowl, stirring just until chocolate is incorporated and no white batter shows. Pour chocolate batter into chocolate crust in prepared pan.

Place cheesecake in large baking pan with at least 2-inch high sides and place in oven. Pour hot water into large pan to reach 1-inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 20 minutes. Carefully slide oven rack out several inches. Pour reserved coffee batter all around inside edge of pan. Batter will flow evenly to cover top of cake. Bake 20 minutes.

Pour reserved toffee batter all around inside edge of pan. Batter will flow evenly to cover top of cake. Bake 40-60 minutes. You will know it is done when you can give the cheesecake a gentle shake and top does not move and looks firm. Keep the water level consistent, and wait for the top of the cake to get firm.

Very carefully, remove everything from the pan. Cool cheesecake in water bath 1 hour on a heat proof surface, covered loosely with paper towel.

Carefully remove cheesecake from water bath. Remove paper towel and cool 1 hour more on a wire rack. Cheesecake should feel cool to touch. Gently run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cheesecake. Unhinge the latch on the spring form pan and gently remove the ring. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

Serve the cake with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or just plain. When slicing the cake, be sure to clean the knife after each cut. This will ensure prettier slices. Leftover cheesecake can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 week.