Kona Mocha Cheesecake

The Original Recipe is called Kona Kahlua Cheesecake, first place winner dessert in the 2002 Kona Coffee Recipe Contest

from The Coffee Shack on The Big Island

Captain Cook, Hawaii

Original Unmodified Recipe:

Crust:    3&1/2C graham cracker crumbs    3/8C softened butter    1/4C Kona espresso (unbrewed)    1/4C cocoa

Combine dry ingredients; blend in softened butter until all ingredients are moistened. Spread mixture evenly onto the bottom and sides of 10" springform pan.

Filling:    19oz cream cheese (at room temperature)    6 eggs    1&1/4C Kahlua    1C sugar

In large mixing bowl beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, scrape sides, and beat until well blended. Pour in Kahlua and beat just until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees or until the edges of the cheesecake are puffed but the center still looks moist and jiggles when the pan is tapped.

Topping:    1&1/2C sour cream    3/8C sugar    1&1/2tsp vanilla    3/4C cocoa powder

Whisk together until well blended. Scrape on top of slightly cooled cheesecake (allow puffiness to recede) spread to smooth and return to the oven for 15 minutes, just long enough to set topping. Remove from oven and cool on rack. Refrigerate over night before unmolding.

Sauce:    1C brewed Kona coffee    1C sugar

Cook over medium high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat and boil until thickened. Cool and serve over cheesecake slices.

I NEVER made it following those specific directions!

First thing I immediately didn't like was boiling brewed Kona coffee! Two very good alternative methods for coffee syrup sauce follow.

Best Method:    1C water    1C sugar    2 double ristretto shots Kona

Heat water & sugar to 235f. Cool to below 200f. Pull your two double ristretto shots and mix in.

Good Method:    1C water    1C sugar    30gr Kona ground to Press Pot coarseness

Heat water & sugar to 230f. Now grind whole beans as you would for press pot, not before! When simple syrup cooled to 205f (takes a few minutes) thoroughly stir in coffee grounds. Infuse for 3min. (or whatever length of time you would infuse your press pot for your given grind.) Strain into bowl with fine mesh strainer. This will yield a somewhat "gritty" syrup. Next strain through cheese cloth if desired (I did). Even if using a press pot with a fine Swiss Gold plunger (like I have) you'd still need to strain through cheese cloth for sludge free syrup... so I didn't use the press spot, why dirty yet another thing I'll have to clean.

The next thing I changed was the crust. Simply replaced half the graham cracker crumbs with fine ground raw macadamia nuts. Works marvelously.

That it was for my first time making it. It is killer and guaranteed to get raves! My second one I was going to make home made Kona "Kahlua" since Kahlua made in Mexico with Mexican coffee. Why have Mexican coffee in a Kona Kahlua Cheesecake! Further research led me to believe that the Vodka portion of home made Kahlua wasn't necessary for the recipe so I simply made a larger batch of the Kona coffee syrup (above) and substituted it for the Kahlua. Again, worked marvelously. Tastes great and cost less than using Kahlua to boot.

A final modification I made on the Kona Mocha Cheesecake pictured was not using cocoa powder. Instead I used fresh roasted cocoa beans simply whirly chop fine ground. Increased the amounts used by about 25% to compensate. (3/8C for crust, 1C for topping). I was a bit concerned it would give the topping a gritty texture but wasn't a problem!

Note: The recipe calls for a 10" springform pan. Mine is a 9" and was barely big enough. Increased filling baking time from 1 hour to 75 minutes. Don't try it with an 8" unless you reduce the recipe!