Categories: Cheesecake, Dessert

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• Filling:
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 (8 ounce) packages neufchatel cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped and toasted
• 2 teaspoons coffee-flavored liqueur
• Coffee-Flavored Syrup:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur
• Additional:
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped and toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°; Grease a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

2. Crust-In a food processor, pulse crumbs, sugar, espresso powder, and cinnamon until fine.

3. Pour butter through feed tube and pulse until combined; press into prepared pan and freeze.

4. Filling-in a saucepan, heat 2 t milk, espresso powder, and butter until butter melts; set aside.

5. In a large bowl, beat Neufchatel cheese, cream cheese, and sugar on med-high speed for 3 minutes.

6. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

7. Decrease speed to low, add milk, hazelnuts, liqueur, and espresso mixture.

8. Pour over frozen crust.

9. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the top is light brown; cool for 2 hours; cover and refrigerate for 6 hours before decorating.

10. Syrup- In a saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, about 5-8 minutes or until sugar is dissolved (make sure you heat sugar and water to a full boil and cook until sugar is dissolved or the sugar may crystallize).

11. Remove from heat and add liqueur; cool.

12. Syrup will keep in a covered container in a refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

13. To serve-slide a slice on a plate; pour 2 T syrup on top and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

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