Ingredients

Crust:

1 9 oz box chocolate wafer cookies

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 C packed dark brown sugar

1/8 t ground nutmeg

7 T hot melted unsalted butter

Ganache:

1 1/2 C whipping cream

20 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 C Kahlua

Filling:

4 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, room temp

1 1/3 C sugar

2 T all purpose flour

2 T dark rum

2 T instant espresso

2 T ground whole espresso coffee beans (medium-coarse grind)

1 T vanilla

2 t mild-flavored light molasses

4 lg eggs

Topping:

1 1/2 C sour cream

1/3 C sugar

2 t vanilla

Preparation

Crust:

  1. Finely grind cookies, chocolate, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a food processor.
  2. Add butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together about 1 min.
  3. Put in 10 inch springform pan with 3 inch high sides.
  4. Wrap plastic around finger and press mixture in firmly to 1/2 inch of top edge, then over bottom of pan.

Ganache:

  1. Bring cream to simmer in large saucepan.
  2. Remove from heat, add chocolate and Kahlua.
  3. Whisk until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth.
  4. Pour 2 C ganache over bottom of crust.
  5. Freeze until ganache layer is firm, about 30 min.
  6. Reserve remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temp. to use for lattice.

Filling:

  1. Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350.
  2. With mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended.
  3. Blend in flour.
  4. Stir rum, espresso powder, ground coffee, vanilla, and molasses in a small bowl until instant coffee dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture.
  5. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.
  6. Pour filling over cold ganache in crust.
  7. Place cheesecake on rimmed baking sheet.
  8. Bake until top is brown, puffed, and cracked at edges, and center 2 inches moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hr 5 min.
  9. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Cool 15 min. while preparing topping. Maintain oven temperature.

Topping:

  1. Whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend.
  2. Pour topping over hot cheesecake, spreading to cover filling completely. Bake until topping is set, about 10 min.
  3. Transfer cheesecake to rack.
  4. Refrigerate hot cheesecake on rack until cool, about 3 hours
  5. Remove cheesecake from pan. Pipe 6 diagonal lines of ganache atop cake, spacing 1 inch. Repeat in opposite direction.
  6. Chill at least 6 hours.