heavenly chipped chocolate and hazelnut cheesecake

Ingredients

• Servings: 1
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 3/4 cup hazelnuts - toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 13 skinned, toasted hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur

Recipe

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ready Time: 3 hrs


• preheat oven to 300 degrees f (150 degrees c).
• using a blender or a food processor, finely chop 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips. transfer ground chocolate to a mixing bowl. add vanilla wafer crumbs, ground hazelnuts, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and melted butter or margarine. mix until well combined. press the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. allow to cool.
• raise oven temperature to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. gradually add 1 cup white sugar; mix well. add the eggs and 3 tablespoons liqueur. mix until well blended. coarsely chop 1 cup of the semisweet chocolate chips, and stir the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture. pour batter into the cooled crust.
• bake in preheated 350 degrees f (175 degrees c) oven for 1 hour. let cake cool in oven for 1 hour. remove outer ring from pan; allow cake to cool completely.
• melt 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips over hot (not boiling) water. stir until smooth. dip 13 hazelnuts into the chocolate, covering one-half of each nut. shake off the excess chocolate. place on a waxed-paper lined plate and chill until set.
• stir the sour cream into the remaining melted chocolate and mix well. add 1 tablespoon liqueur. spread glaze on top of the cooled cheesecake. garnish with chocolate-dipped hazelnuts.