Chocolate Grand Marnier Cheesecake

Total Time: 6 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 5 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces plain chocolate wafer cookies, crushed (alternatively, use vanilla wafers)
• 9 ounces mascarpone cheese or 9 ounces cream cheese, room temp
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate, melted
• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin, powder
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 4 tablespoons grand marnier
• 2 1/2 cups whipped cream
• 1 cup nutella
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate, melted
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon grand marnier
• 1 orange, zest of
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped (optional)

Recipe

• 1 lightly oil the base of a 9-inch spring form pan.
• 2 melt the butter in a pan, stir in the crushed cookies and press on to the base of the pan with clean fingers or the back of a spoon.
• 3 chill while preparing the filling.
• 4 in a bowl, cream the sugar, nutella and mascarpone or cream cheese until smooth.
• 5 add the melted chocolate and grand marnier and stir gently to combine.
• 6 in a small glass bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the 1/4 cup of hot water (according to instructions on package).
• 7 fold the gelatin into the filling mixture along with the whipped cream.
• 8 pour this mixture over the base.
• 9 refrigerate for 4-5 hours, uncovered; do not unmold.
• 10 to prepare the sauce, add the cream to the melted chocolate while it is still hot and stir in a tablespoon of grand mariner (or more to taste).
• 11 when the cheesecake has set, pour the sauce over the top while it is still in the mold.
• 12 set back in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before unmolding and serving.
• 13 garnish with orange zest or crushed hazelnuts, if desired.