Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

Graham cracker hazelnut crust

1 pkg (inner wrapped) graham crackers- crushed
3 tlbsp ground hazelnuts
3 tblsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Crush graham crackers and hazelnuts (chopped roughly) by pulsing in a food processor, fitted with standard blade.
Pour into 10 inch springform, mix in sugar, add melted butter, combine well. Press firmly into bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes, set aside.

OR Chocolate wafer cookie crust

Crush one package of Nabisco chocolate wafers in food processor, pour into 10 inch springform pan, add 1/4 cup melted butter, press firmly into bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes, set aside.

Cheesecake filling

3 8 oz pkg's cream cheese (brick style)
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 oz semisweet chocolate
2 tblsp heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup hazelnut liqueur

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and heavy cream to room temperature (leave out for 1 hour).
Melt chocolate over warm water and let cool slightly. With a stand mixer or heavy duty hand mixer, blend together cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, heavy cream and sugar. Slowly add melted chocolate, mix well, but slowly, being careful not to incorporate too much air into the mixture. Add liqueur. Pour into baked crust.

Place filled pan into a large sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap foil around pan, make sure there are no holes in foil.
Place foil wrapped pan into a large high-sided baking dish, pour hot water into dish to measure one third up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake cheesecake in this water bath for 60-75 minutes until firmly set in the middle.
Remove from oven and water bath, let cool in pan for 1 hour.
Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the springform before releasing the catch to remove pan ring.