Heavenly Chipped Chocolate and Hazelnut Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 3/4 cup hazelnuts – toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 13 skinned, toasted hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Using a blender or a food processor, finely chop 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Transfer ground chocolate to a mixing bowl. Add vanilla wafer crumbs, ground hazelnuts, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and melted butter or margarine. Mix until well combined. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup white sugar; mix well. Add the eggs and 3 tablespoons liqueur. Mix until well blended. Coarsely chop 1 cup of the semisweet chocolate chips, and stir the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture. Pour batter into the cooled crust.

Bake in preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 1 hour. Let cake cool in oven for 1 hour. Remove outer ring from pan; allow cake to cool completely.

Melt 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips over hot (not boiling) water. Stir until smooth. Dip 13 hazelnuts into the chocolate, covering one-half of each nut. Shake off the excess chocolate. Place on a waxed-paper lined plate and chill until set.

Stir the sour cream into the remaining melted chocolate and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon liqueur. Spread glaze on top of the cooled cheesecake. Garnish with chocolate-dipped hazelnuts.