Tiramisu Cheesecake

Each Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law Tricia puts me in charge of desserts. At the beginning, I'd make the same tried and true desserts. I wasn't much for change at that time. But these past three years, I've been changing the desserts up. Last year and the year before, I'd have one safe dessert, but this year I went cold "turkey" (ha!) and did all new desserts. Most worked, a couple I'd pass on making again. One though, was outstanding so I'll share the recipe with you. 

Tiramisu Cheesecake ... mouth watering yet? It's yummy. Really yummy. Everyone liked it. 

I haven't perfected the recipe yet, it certainly needs a few tweaks, but here's the recipe straight from the source. Simple enough to make and most impressive for a crowd! 

Tiramisu Cheesecake
from allrecipes.com

1 (12 ounce) package ladyfingers 4 tablespoons butter, melted 4 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese 1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese

1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

	Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a pan of water at the bottom of the oven. Crush the package of ladyfingers to fine crumbs. Mix the melted butter into the crumbs. Moisten with 2 tablespoons of the coffee liqueur. Press into an 8 or 9 inch springform pan.
	In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar until very smooth. Add 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, and mix. Add the eggs and the flour; mix SLOWLY until just smooth. The consistency of the mascarpone can vary. If the cheesecake batter is too thick, add a little cream. Do not overmix at this point. Pour batter into crust.
	Place pan on middle rack of oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set. Open oven door, and turn off the heat. Leave cake to cool in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and let it finish cooling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Right before serving, grate the semi-sweet chocolate overtop. MY NOTES:  *I did not put a pan of water in the oven or under the pan itself. The point of this is to not have your cheesecake crack, but in keeping the door open and letting the cake stay in there, that prevents it from cracking. My cake did not crack at all! *I added 4 tablespoons of coffee liquor to both the batter and the crust. It could use more though... *I sprinkled crushed ladyfingers to the top of my cake and added whipped cream around the edging. No shaved chocolate. *Let this cake sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours before serving. The longer it settles, the better the flavors become.