Almond Joy" Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup almonds sliced
• 10 servings almonds sliced
• 1.3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs 
• 10 servings coconut or toasted
• 16 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 0.5 cup cream of coconut canned
• 1 cup cream of coconut canned
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 0.5 cup heavy cream 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 4 tablespoons butter unsalted melted
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• wire rack
• plastic wrap
• hand mixer
• roasting pan
• aluminum foil
• spatula
• springform pan
• offset spatula

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Make crust: In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, almonds and salt with a flexible spatula. Stir in melted butter until dry ingredients are lightly moistened. Press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap outside of pan tightly with two layers of aluminum foil.
2. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Leave foil on.
3. Make filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined and light, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again. Beat in vanilla, cream of coconut and salt. (
4. Pour remaining cream of coconut into a small bowl, cover it with plastic and refrigerate to use later in topping.)
5. Pour filling onto crust.
6. Transfer springform pan to a roasting pan; fill roasting pan with hot tap water until it reaches 1 inch up sides of springform pan.
7. Bake for 1 hour, until filling is set but still a bit jiggly in center (it will firm up as it cools). Take springform pan out of roasting pan and remove foil.
8. Let cake cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.
9. Lightly cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 6 hours.
10. Pour cream of coconut and heavy cream into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until mixture is just simmering. In a bowl, pour mixture over chocolate and whisk until melted and mixture is smooth.
11. Let it cool.
12. Pour 1/2 cup to 1 cup topping over cheesecake, spreading with an offset spatula.
13. Garnish with toasted coconut and sliced almonds, if desired. Chill until chocolate mixture has set, about 10 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around inside of pan; release sides. Slice and serve.