Chocolate Espresso-Orange Cheesecake with Grand Marnier Ganache and Candied Orange Peel

Rich in color and flavor, textures slowly melting on your tongue, the slight crunch of the cookie crust adding complexity.... Combine this with the competing flavors of chocolate, coffee and orange darting around your mouth and your first bite of this decadent dessert will assure you that there is indeed a heaven - and that when you get there, Grand Marnier enhanced cheesecakes will be on each and every menu.

Already slightly euphoric following a delightful Christmas Eve with family and close friends, one of those where nearly everything goes right, this luscious, exquisite, sumptuous finale to our holiday meal brought a heavenly end to a wonderful day.  Our laughter filled afternoon had parents sharing stories of holidays past while filling in our young teens on their toddler antics and embarrassing moments.  Taken well in stride, the kids laughed along with us with exclamations of "Did I really do that?" followed by contagious giggles and even more stories.

The Prime Rib was overcooked, but well-done loving grandma was thrilled with the "perfectly cooked for her" end piece.  Luckily the rest of us were OK with medium even though medium-rare would have been optimum.  The green beans were steamed and simply adorned with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt as Liv had requested, and the Irresistible Orange Sweet Potatoes had us all reaching for more.  Ahhh... that streusel is simply divine.

With our appetites already satiated, slices of Chocolate Cheesecake magically appeared, beautifully adorned with sweet strips of candied orange peel.  The surprise arrived when the first bite brought flavors not only hinting of espresso, but also a brightness of orange.  A brightness enhanced with a lovely Grand Marnier finish eliciting delighted groans of pleasure with each delicate bite.

Spiked with pure espresso grounds and Kahlua, the coffee flavors complemented the rich chocolate filling along with flavors of pure orange from the juice and peels of fruits picked less than 24 hours earlier from our own yard.  Topped with a version of my favorite luscious Grand Marnier Ganache, this heavenly dessert must have appealed even to angels watching over us.

Chocolate Espresso-Orange Cheesecake with Grand Marnier Ganache and Candied Orange Peel

adapted from Epicurious

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Crust:

2/3 pkg of Trader Joe's Chocolate Joe-Joe's

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 Tbs granulated sugar (optional - I like the crunch!)

1 tsp finely ground espresso beans

Filling:
4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped 

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (I used fresh squeezed OJ)

1-2 Tbs finely grated orange peel

2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (I used Kahlua)

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (I may have added a splash extra...)

1 1/2 Tbs finely ground espresso beans

3 large eggs

Topping:

1/3 cup whipping cream

5 1/2 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped 

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Garnish:

Candied Orange Peel (optional)

Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans (optional)

For Crust:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with foil. Place sandwich cookies into a food processor. Process until large crumbs form. Add melted butter, sugar and espresso beans and process again until smaller, moist crumbs form.  Press crumbs onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of prepared pan.

For Filling:
Melt chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water, stirring until smooth, set aside. Using and electric or a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Mix in slightly cooled, melted chocolate.  Add juice concentrate, peel, liqueurs and finely ground espresso beans; beat until mixture is smooth. Beat in eggs, adding 1 at a time and mixing only until combined (try not to overmix at this point).

Pour batter into crust. Bake until softly set in center and slightly puffed at edges, about 45 minutes.  Turn oven off and let cool 10 minutes inside the oven with the door ajar.  Remove cheesecake from oven and cool on a wire rack.  Run a knife around the sides of the pan.  When the cheesecake is room temperature, prepare topping.

For Topping:
Heat the cream on the stove until simmering.  Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate.  Stir after about a minute and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.  Whisk in the Grand Marnier to combine.  Cool slightly.

Spread the topping over the cooled cheesecake, then place chocolate covered espresso beans around the edges of the cheesecake if desired.  Place cheesecake into refrigerator and chill, best to chill overnight.

When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and run a knife around the edges of the pan again.  Release cheesecake and slice.

Garnish with candied orange peel if desired.

Liv Life Notes:  For pretty slices, warm your knife under warm water.  Dry and make one slice.  Wipe with a paper towel and slice again.  Wipe with paper towel after each slice, and re-warm the knife if necessary.