Truffles-Inspired Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake! | Recipe from Anna Olson

#chocolate #truffles #cheesecake #recipe #hazelnutlatte
Recipe below! Chocolate and hazelnut make a heavenly combination, and this cheesecake is just like those chocolate hazelnut truffles we all love, especially at holiday time.

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Makes 1 9-inch (2.5 L) cheesecake

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• Ingredients •

Crust:
1 cup (125 g) graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup (60 g) chopped toasted hazelnuts (see tip below)
1/4 cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream
1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder
6 oz (180 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 pkg (500 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (140 g) chocolate hazelnut spread
2 large eggs

Topping:
¼ cup (60 mL) whipping cream
¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter
4 oz (120 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup (90 g) chopped toasted hazelnuts

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• Directions •

1. For the crust, preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C) and grease a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, placing it on a baking tray.

2. Stir the graham crumbs, hazelnuts and brown sugar together in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until an even texture. Press this into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for about 8 minutes, simply to set it (it will not change in appearance). Let this cool while preparing the filling.

3. For the filling, reduce oven temperature to 325 °F (160 °C). Heat the cream and instant coffee to just below a simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and whisk gently until smooth and set aside to cool slightly (but a little warm is OK).

4. In a bowl using electric beaters or with a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beatthe cream cheese until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl often. While beating, slowly pour in sugar, again scraping the bowl often. Beat in cornstarch followed by the vanilla. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread and combine well and scraping the bowl. With the speed on medium-low, beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour the chocolate cream into the bowl and combine on low speed or whisk in by hand. Pour the filling into the pan.

5. Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes at 325°F (160°C). Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and leave cheesecake in another 30 minutes. The cheesecake should set around the edges but still have a jiggle to it when the pan is gently moved. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and set it on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature (this can take 2 to 3 hours), then chill overnight.

6. Remove the cheesecake from the pan and place it on a serving plate. For the topping, heat the cream and butter to just below a simmer and pour this over the chocolate. Let this sit for a minute and then use a spatula to stir the mixture into a shiny and smooth ganache. Pour this into the centre of the cheesecake, let it naturally spread (but it should not reach the edges of the cheesecake or drip over the sides). Sprinkle the ganache with chopped hazelnuts and chill until ready to serve.

TIP: To toast hazelnuts, spread them on an ungreased baking tray and toast for about 15 minutes in a 350°F (180°C) oven. Once cooled, rub the hazelnuts either in a tea towel or in a colander to remove the peels. In may seem like a bit of work to peel the hazelnuts, but the hazelnuts look tidier when peeled and the skin can have a bitter taste once toasted. It’s best to remove them.