0
1 1/3 cups Oreo cookie crumbs, or chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter
6 squares bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolates
3 pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Crust: Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Stir crumbs with butter. Press over bottom of a 9-1/2-inch (24-cm) springform pan. Bake in centre of preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.
Filling: Coarsely chop chocolate into small pieces. Melt in a small heavy-bottom saucepan set over low heat, removing from heat when some pieces of chocolate are still visible, about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Or microwave, uncovered, on medium power until chocolate is almost, but not completely, melted, from 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 minutes. Then stir.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, or in a food processor, beat or whirl cream cheese with coffee crystals and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape sides of bowl often. Beat or whirl in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat or whirl in melted chocolate and vanilla.
Turn filling onto warm crumb crust and smooth top. Bake in centre of preheated 325F (160C) oven until centre of cheesecake seems set when jiggled and a cake tester comes out almost clean, from 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then, to minimize cracking, run a sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Don't remove sides. Cool on a rack.
Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 6 hours or up to 2 days. Cake freezes well. Serve with a dusting of icing sugar.
Calories 294, Protein 6g, Carbohydrates 26.2g, Fat 19.6g, Fibre 0.6g, Sodium 296mg.
For a dense rich cake, whirl filling ingredients together in a food processor. An electric mixer gives a higher lighter cake.
Boxes of Oreo baking crumbs are sold in grocery stores. We preferred this cake made with regular cream cheese and bittersweet chocolate.