I am kind of embarrassed to admit this, but today I made my FIRST cheesecake EVER (… I know, right?)

This morning I was cleaning out Ryan’s freezer, and I realized that we had frozen 3 packages of cream cheese that we bought months (years?) ago with the intention of making guacamole. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I think of things that freeze well, cream cheese isn’t on my list…

Aaaanyway, by the time the cream cheese thawed, I was inspired. I did a quick search on RecipeZaar, found Yooper’s Cappuccino Cheesecake recipe, and fell in love.

* 8 whole graham crackers, crushed
* 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1/2 cup whipping cream
* 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
* 4 large eggs
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
* chocolate, shaved into curls (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix crackers, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl; press onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch high sides.
3. Bake crust 10 minutes.
4. Cool.
5. Maintain oven temperature.
6. Combine cream, espresso powder or coffee and vanilla in small bowl; set aside.
7. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth.
8. Gradually beat in remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, then eggs 1 at a time.
9. Beat in flour.
10. Stir espresso mixture until power dissolves, beat into cream cheese mixture.
11. Stir in chocolate chips.
12. Pour batter over crust.
13. Bake cake until edges are puffed and beginning to crack and center is just set, about 1 hour 5 minutes.
14. Cool on rack for 30 minutes; chill, uncovered for 6 hours.
15. Cut around cake to loosen.
16. Release pan sides.
17. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.

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As those who know me might expect, I used about a cup and a half of chocolate chips, and slightly more espresso powder to make this less cappuccino-ey and more mocha-ey. I also ended up skipping the homemade graham cracker crust due to time constraints, and instead purchased one standard graham cracker crust, one oreo crust, and a package of six mini crusts.

The mini cheesecakes were a pretty big hit: