Espresso Truffle Tangled with Cinnamon Cheesecake

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Espresso Truffle Tangled with Cinnamon Cheesecake

Each layer of this dessert is amazing on its own, but builds into Halloween magic. Experience for yourself today!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Pie

Prep Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings slices

Calories 406kcal

Author Jen

Ingredients

9" Cookie Crust

30 chocolate wafer cookies
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 Tablespoons butter, melted (sea level = 4 Tablespoons butter)

First Layer - Espresso Truffle

6 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate - chips or chopped into small uniform size pieces
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Second Layer - Cinnamon Cheesecake

8 ounces cream cheese, block - room temperature
1/3 cup cane or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

Tangled Web - Ganache

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (50-60%) - chips or chopped into small uniform size pieces
1/4 cup heavy cream

Garnish - Spooky Spider

1 spooky spider

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cookie Crust

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Chill a small to small/medium (preferably glass) bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer.
Butter an 9" springform pan with a light coat, then set aside. Crumb chocolate wafers in a food processor. Pulse until the crumbs are fine and uniform in size.
Combine cookie crumbs, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, then add the melted butter. Stir well with a fork, then with your hands. Coat the crumbs until the butter's evenly distributed.
Spread the crumbs even across the bottom of the springform pan. With your hands, a tart tamper, or the back and side of a small measuring cup, press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom and slightly up the side of the pan. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
On the center oven rack, bake the crust between 6-8 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Espresso Truffle
Place 6 ounces of chocolate in a heat safe bowl, then add ⅔ cup heavy cream. Microwave for 20 seconds on full power, then stir. Continue heating in 10 seconds bursts and stir. When the chocolate is close to melted—stir, stir, stir until smooth and starting to thicken. With a spatula, spread the truffle filling across the bottom of the cookie crust, then freeze for 20 minutes.
Alternate stovetop method:
Place chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate in a small heat safe bowl.
In a small saucepan over medium/low heat, add the heavy cream. Once small bubbles form along the edge of the pot, remove and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 3 minute, then stir gently until smooth. The ganache may be thin at first. If so, wait until thickened.

Cinnamon Cheesecake

Remove the bowl and beaters from the freezer. Using an electric stand or handheld mixer, start on low speed and beat the heavy cream with increasing speed until it starts to thicken. Increase to high speed and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Avoid over beating. Place in the refrigerator.
In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon, while making sure to scrape the sides. Once the mixture is light and fluffy, turn the mixer to low and add the refrigerated whipped cream until incorporated.
Remove the pan from the freezer and with an offset spatula, spoon, or knife, smooth the cream cheese mixture over the truffle filling and from crust edge to edge.

Tangled Web Ganache

Place chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate in a small heat safe bowl, then add heavy cream. Microwave for 20 seconds on full power, then stir. Continue heating in 10 seconds bursts and stir. My microwave took 30 seconds total, then a decent amount of stirring. Let ganache stand to thicken.
Once thickened, Martha and Queen Latifah make a better spider web and cracked me up while doing it too! If you don't have a squeeze bottle, I used a piping bag fit with a ¼" tip and a bbq skewer (which I broke in half).
Cover and freeze for one hour, then slice and spook your loved ones in the best way possible.

Notes

Recipe is adapted from Taste of Home and Martha

the only change at 6,300 altitude, is using 5 tablespoons of butter in the crust vs. 4 at sea level.
the crust can be made ahead, cooled, and covered.

whipped cream can be made early, covered, and refrigerated for up to a few hours.
I guess at this point, I mean early like now or the day before next Halloween ; )
this dessert can be made in a pie plate as well. If making, bake cookie crust for 6 minutes.

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