Cappuccino Cheesecake

Built on a mouthwatering cookie crust with a hint of dark, bitter chocolate, this smooth, creamy mascarpone cheesecake is topped with a layer of glossy white sour cream and dusted with cocoa, so that a slice really does resemble a cup of cappuccino.

Ingredients:

6 oz. dark chocolate-covered graham crackers

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1lb 4 oz mascarpone

2/3 cup cream fraiche or heavy cream

3 tablespoons instant coffee,

dissolved in 3 tablespoons just-boiled water

generous 2/3 cup sugar, plus 1 ½ tablespoons for the topping

4 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk, beaten together

1 cup sour cream

Unsweetened Cocoa powder, to dust

9-inch spring form cake pan greased

Directions:

Put the graham crackers in a food processor and process until they become crumbs, then combine with melted butter.  Tip the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth out to make an even crust.  Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Beat together the mascarpone and crème fraiche until smooth, then stir in the coffee and sugar.  Stir in the eggs until well mixed.

Wrap the base and sides of the pan in two single sheets of aluminum foil, then pour the mascarpone mixture over the crumb crust.  Put in a roasting pan and pour water around the cake pan so that it reaches half to two-thirds of the way up the sides.  Bake for about 50 minutes until set but still soft.

Meanwhile, stir the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons sugar into the sour cream.  Remove the cheesecake from the oven, gently spoon over the sour cream, spreading it out evenly, then return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool, then cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.  To serve, carefully unmold and dust with cocoa powder.

Serves 8