White Russian Cheesecake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with 4 layers of aluminum foil; set aside.

2. Pulse chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor until finely chopped. Add butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, espresso powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; pulse until incorporated, about 5 times. Press cookie mixture evenly over bottom and halfway up sides of springform pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until fragrant and starting to turn crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool while you prepare cheesecake filling. Decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

4. Combine cream cheese and remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until completely smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down sides as necessary. Add melted chocolate and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add sour cream and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Add coffee liqueur, Irish cream liqueur, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; beat on medium until combined, about 1 minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat on low until just incorporated. Pour cheesecake mixture into the cooled crust. Place the springform pan into a large roasting pan.

5. Place roasting pan on center rack in the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan, making sure you do not get any water into the cheesecake.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until filling is set but still slightly jiggly in the center, 60 to 65 minutes. Turn oven off and prop open door. Let cheesecake cool in oven for 1 hour. Remove roasting pan with cheesecake from oven. Remove cheesecake from roasting pan and set aside to cool completely, about 45 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to overnight.

7. Run a sharp paring knife around edges of crust to loosen from pan. Remove sides of springform pan. Run knife around bottom of cheesecake to loosen. Gently shimmy, or use large spatulas, to transfer cheesecake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Top with white chocolate curls. Slice and serve cold or at room temperature.

Cook's Notes:

You could substitute Crème de Cacao for the Kahlua(R) if desired.

The water bath and letting it cool with the oven turned off are two ways of gently cooking and cooling the cheesecake. This helps prevent cracking. Also, mixing the eggs in until just combined is important because you don't want a ton of air whipped into them, which could cause bubbles or cracking too.