Ingredients

• 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans or almonds
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To make nut crust, mix pecans, 2 tablespoons sugar, and butter and press into bottom of springform pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 12-18 minutes. Cool.
4. Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until smooth.
5. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Stir in vanilla and cocoa and pour into cooled nut crust. 5. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until almost set.
7. Remove from oven. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan.
8. Cool completely, and remove side of pan.
9. Cover; refrigerate several hours or until chilled.
10. To make chocolate mousse, beat eggs yolks in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed about 3 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar.
11. Heat 1 cup whipping cream in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat just until hot.
12. Gradually stir at least half of the hot cream into egg yolk mixture; stir back into hot cream in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens (do not boil).
13. Stir in chocolate chips until melted. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, just until chilled.
14. Beat 1 1/2 cups whipping cream in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream and mix until thoroughly blended.
15. Spread chocolate mousse in thick layer over cheesecake and serve. You will have some leftover mousse unless you do it REALLY thick.

Notes

• This is our favorite dessert!