Double Coffee Cheesecake

Preparation & Cooking Time : 5 hr 30 min  Makes : 16 servings

Ingredients :

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1-1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 6 tbsp butter or margarine
• 3 tbsp coffee-flavored liqueur
• 1 tbsp instant coffee
• 4 x 8 oz packages Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tspn vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 25 almonds, divided
• 1 square semisweet baking chocolate, melted

Preparation and Cooking Instructions :

1. preheat oven to 325°f if using a silver springform pan (or to 300°f if using a dark nonstick 9" springform pan). mix crumbs, 1/3 cup of the sugar and the butter; press firmly onto bottom and 2" up side of pan. Bake 10 minutes.
2. Mix liqueur and instant coffee granules until well blended; set aside. Beat cream cheese, remaining 1 cup sugar, the flour and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Stir in coffee mixture; pour into crust.
3. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
4. Meanwhile, dip 21 of the almonds in chocolate, 1 at a time. Gently shake each almond to remove excess chocolate. Place on wax paper-covered tray. Refrigerate 5 minutes or until chocolate is set. Remove from refrigerator. Place 16 of the chocolate-dipped almonds around edge of cheesecake. Arrange remaining 5 chocolate-dipped almonds in center of cheesecake. Coarsely chop remaining 4 almonds; sprinkle on top of cheesecake. Store cheesecake in refrigerator.