Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake with Ganache Hazelnut Spread

Chocolate Hazelnut overload! This is a very rich cheesecake, you will definitely need a glass of milk and whip cream on top to make it through each slice!

Preparation Time and Cooling Time
3 hours and 30 Minutes

Cooking Time
60-75 Minutes

Ingredients
Makes 15-20 Servings

• 3 c Chocolate Graham Crackers, crushed
• 6 tb butter, melted
• 1 c Chocolate Chips
• 4 (8oz) cream cheese
•  1 c Sugar
• ½ c Milk
• 4 Eggs
• ½ c Sour Cream
• 1 ½ c Nutella Hazelnut Spread
• 1 tb Vanilla Extract
• ¼ c Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• ¼ c Unbleached Flour
• ¼ c Hazelnuts, Chopped for garnishing

To make Ganache:

• 1 c Chocolate
• ¾ c Heavy Whipping Cream
• ½ c Nutella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9” spring form pan. Set out cream cheese so it can get to room temperature. (It’s easier to mix when it’s a little warm.)
2. In medium mixing bowl add chocolate cookie crumbs with melted butter. Mix until combined then press to the bottom of the spring form pan. You can press some up the edges of the pan as well.
3. In a small microwave safe dish add the chocolate chips and microwave for 30 seconds until evenly melted and smooth. If there are still chunks, microwave for another 15 seconds. Be sure not to overcook the chocolate.
4. In a large mixing bowl cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. This is an important step, if there are lumps of cream cheese later you will see it in the final product, and you don’t want that. So be sure to make sure it has a silky smooth texture.
5. Next mix in milk, eggs, melted chocolate, and sour cream. Mix until combined.
6. Add in Nutella, cocoa powder and flour. Combine until the flour is just absorbed. Don’t over mix this step.
7. Once done mixing, pour mixture into the spring form pan.
8. Boil 2 cups of water in an oven safe dish, once it’s at a raging boil, put the water dish and the spring form pan into the oven.
9. Bake for 60-75 minutes. You can tell its done when the edges are firm and the center of the cheesecake is slightly jiggly.
10. Turn off the oven, but keep the cheesecake in the oven, let it cool for an hour like this.
11. Take cheesecake out of oven and store in fridge for 2 hours. This allows the cheese to set up completely.

To make the Ganache:

1. In a medium microwave safe dish add 1 cup of chocolate chips, heavy cream and Nutella. Microwave for 30 seconds and mix until smooth. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds if chocolate hasn’t melted completely.
2. Take out of microwave and leave untouched for 2 minutes.
3. Once cooled, take cheesecake out of fridge and pour over entire cheesecake to cover the top.
4. You can garnish with additional hazelnuts or crushed cookies on the edges of the cheesecake.

Why the boiled water in the oven?

Well as the cheesecake cooks it starts to dry out on top. You add the boiled water to provide extra moisture to keep the top from cracking. This way you have a perfectly smooth untouched top when you pull it out of the oven.

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