Gluten Free Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake

For the last Holiday Food Fest post, I decided to go all out. Click the image above for some more great holiday recipes. If you read my previous post about making chocolate cookie wafers, then you were introduced to three friends; Chocolate, Butter, and Sugar. In the interest of time and my wife's sanity, I have decided to just tell you how to make the most indulgent, decadent cheesecake I have ever eaten. Maybe I will tell a story another time.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake
borrowed from Smitten Kitchen, modified to be GF
Crust:
9 ounces of chocolate cookie wafers
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
5 Tbs butter, melted
Ganache:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
20 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Kahlua
Filling:
3-8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tbs GF flour mix
1-1/2 Tbs dark rum
2-1/2 Tbs instant espresso powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp "mild" or light molasses
3 large eggs
Topping:
1-1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Baking directions:
Bake cheesecake in a 350 degree F oven for 50-60 minutes. Add the topping and bake another 15 minutes.

Phew!!! Did you get all that? Start by lining the bottom of your spring form pan with parchment paper. Take the cookie wafers and pulse them in a food processor a couple times. Add the sugar and nutmeg and pulse again until mixed. While the food processor is running, pour in the melted butter. Try not to spill it all over like I did. Take the crust mixture and pour it into the pan. I used a flat bottom drinking glass to press the crust evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Don't worry if the crust doesn't go all the way up the side. Just try to make it even throughout.
To make the ganache, bring the cream to simmer in a large sauce pan. Remove from the heat; add the chopped chocolate and Kahlua. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Pour about a 1-1/2 cups of the ganache into the spring form pan over the bottom crust to make a nice fudgy layer. Place the spring form pan with the crust and ganache in the freezer for 30 minutes. Keep the remaining ganache at room temperature.

While the ganache is cooling in the freezer; let's throw the filling together. Now is a good time to pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Using a stand mixer; beat together the cream cheese and sugar until thoroughly combined. Next beat in the gf flour. In a small bowl; combine the rum, instant espresso powder, vanilla, and molasses until the espresso powder dissolves. Pour the rum/espresso liquid into the cream cheese and beat until thoroughly mixed; scraping down the sides as necessary. Finally, beat in the eggs one at a time; scraping down the sides after each one.
Remove the spring form pan from the freezer. Pour the cheesecake mixture in, it will go almost all the way to the top. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the top puffs up and doesn't jiggle too much in the middle; about 50-60 minutes. (a little jiggle in the middle is OK) For the topping, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. After the cheesecake has baked 50-60 minutes, pour the sour cream mix over the hot cheesecake and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Take a knife and run it along the edge of the pan to release the sides. Fill a pastry bag with some remaining ganache and decorate your little heart out. Top with a few well placed chocolate covered espresso beans for a little more kick. Refrigerate for at least 6 more hours before serving. It is definitely best to make this the day before you plan to serve it.
Go ahead, dig in. You only have a couple more weeks before those New Year's resolutions kick in. Enjoy!!!