Chocolate Espresso Swirl Cheesecake

For coffee and chocolate lovers - here's a rich and creamy cheesecake with a hint of espresso and chocolate swirled into the filling, and a crispy Oreo crust.

I decided to make this cheesecake because I was really sick of making my original "Cappuccino" flavored one over and over again for my brother who loves it to death. I finally put my foot down and discovered this recipe in my new cheesecake book 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes. It's the original with a chocolate twist (makes it kind of new in my opinion). Everyone loved it, and since I think they were so sick of the original, decided this was their new favorite! To make it extra yummy, I went ahead and drizzled some chocolate syrup and topped it with whipped cream. (To make it even more rich and delicious, I suggest you make chocolate ganache instead of using chocolate syrup. I however didn't have the time or energy to make it this time. And to make it more flavorful, you can also sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon.)

Ingredients:
Crust -

• 30 Oreo cookies
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling -

• 4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 oz bittersweet/semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use a 9-inch cheesecake/springform pan with 3-inch sides. For the crust, in a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs (use a food processor to crush the Oreo cookies into fine crumbs) and butter. Press into the bottom of the cheesecake pan and freeze.

2. For the filling, in a large mixing bowl using a mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. Add sour cream. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. 

3. In a small bowl, dissolve coffee powder in hot water. While the mixer is running, pour coffee in a steady stream into the batter. Add the vanilla, then stir 1 cup of the batter into the melted chocolate (make sure it's cooled!) and set aside.Pour remaining batter over frozen crust.

4. Using a spoon, drop puddles of the melted chocolate mixture on top of the batter. Using a small knife, drag through the puddles in spiral motions to create a marbled effect. 

5. Bake the cheesecake in a preheated oven for about 45-55 minutes, or until the top is light brown and the center has a slight jiggle to it. Cool on a rack for about 2 hours. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.

Note: Personally, I have found that baking a cheesecake in a water bath makes for a better cheesecake. Before placing the cheesecake to bake in the oven, boil a pot of water. Place the cheesecake in a pan and fill the boiling water about 1/2-1 inch high, then put the cheesecake to bake in the oven. When the cheesecake is done, pull open the oven door and let the cheesecake sit in its water bath for at least 30-60 minutes. Then take out the cheesecake to cool completely before refrigerating.