Magic Mocha Cheesecake

Note: I use natural sugar, so if you use regular bleached, you will want to use a little less.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Chop the graham crackers into crumbs in a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse a few times. Then add the melted butter slowly with processor running. Dump all the crumbs into a 10-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Use a rubber glove or plastic wrap to press the crumbs into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan.

Bake for 6-7 minutes.

Leave oven on. Fill a bread pan halfway with water and set it in the oven to one side. (This keeps the top of the cheesecake from cracking.)

For the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the egg into the cream cheese. Add the sour cream and vanilla and blend. Then add the instant coffee slowly with the mixer running. Add the cinnamon in the same manner. Finally, heat the hot fudge in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds, just enough to stir it. Slowly pour the hot fudge into the mixture while beating. Pour the mixture into the cooled crust.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. The top should look evenly dry and move, but not jiggle. Turn off the oven and crack the door open several inches. After about 20-30 minutes, open the oven door, but leave the cheesecake in the oven. After another 20 minutes, move the cheesecake to a cooking rack. Allow to cool COMPLETELY. Then refrigerate the cake in the pan several hours, overnight is even better.

Remove from the pan and slice. The best way I have found is to use fishing line. Cut down through the cheesecake, then pull it out the side.

If you would like to try the original magic cheesecake (hazelnut turtle) version that I used to make, replace the coffee and cinnamon with 1 cup of chopped hazelnuts. Then top the finished cheesecake with caramel sauce. Homemade caramel sauce is the best.