- 3/4 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- Macadamia Crust
- 1 cup unsalted roasted macadamias
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut into chunks
- Vanilla Port Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups port
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 (7 inch) vanilla bean
- In the top of a double boiler, combine chocolate, cinnamon, and 3/4 cup cream. Stir over simmering water just until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add egg yolks and whisk over simmering water until mixture reaches 140 degrees. Adjust heat to keep mixture between 140 degrees and 150 degrees, and continue to whisk for 3 minutes. Nest pan in ice water and stir often until mixture is cool, about 15 minutes.
- In a deep bowl with a mixer at high speed, whip remaining cream until it holds distinct peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture, then pour into cool macadamia crust. Cover airtight (don't let cover touch filling) and chill at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
- Remove cheesecake pan rim, cut torte into wedges, and accompany with vanilla port sauce to taste.
- MACADAMIA CRUST: In a food processor, whirl macadamias until finely chopped. Pour into a bowl. In food processor, whirl flour, sugar, and butter until fine crumbs form. Add macadamias and whirl just until dough sticks together. (Or mince nuts with a sharp knife and put in a bowl with flour, sugar, and butter; rub with your fingers until mixture sticks together, then pat into a ball.)
- Press mixture evenly over bottom and about 11/4 inches up sides of a 9-inch cheesecake pan with a removable rim.
- Bake crust in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, 12 to 18 minutes. Set on a rack and cool at least 30 minutes.
- VANILLA PORT SAUCE: In a 11/2- to 2-quart pan, combine port and sugar. With a small, sharp knife, slit vanilla bean open lengthwise. Scrape seeds from pod; add seeds and pod to the port mixture.
- Boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Let sauce cool at least 15 minutes; discard vanilla pod. Serve warm, cool, or chilled.