Recipe: Mocha Nut Cheesecakes (food processor)

MOCHA NUT CHEESECAKES

"These miniature cheesecakes are a combination of chocolate and coffee in a hazelnut and brown sugar cup."

FOR THE BASE:
2 cups hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted.
FOR THE FILLING:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sour cream
FOR DECORATING:
2 ounces semi sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat a 24 mini muffin tin with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, finely chop the hazelnuts. Combine in a mixing bowl with the brown sugar and melted butter. Mix well with a fork.

Put 1 tablespoon into each well of the prepared tin, spreading the mixture over the entire surface of each well with the back of a teaspoon.

Bake for l5 minutes and remove from the oven, leaving the oven on.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Cream the cream cheese and white sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in the egg.

In a small bowl, combine the boiling water, coffee granules, and cocoa powder. Mix well.

Add the sour cream to the cream cheese mixture and beat in at medium speed. Beat in the coffee mixture. Fill hazelnut cups with mixture.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheesecakes have puffed up. Remove the tin from the oven and allow the cheesecakes to cool for 1 hour before refrigerating for at least 3 hours.

TO DECORATE:
Melt 2 ounces of semi sweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, stirring until melted and combined. Place in a parchment triangle or spoon, and drizzle over cheesecakes.

Adapted from source: The Complete Cookie by Barry Bluestein and Kevin Morrissey