Hazelnut Zebra Cheesecake

I needed a dessert to bring to a Halloween Party and decided on a Hazelnut Zebra Cheesecake decorated on top with a chocolate web and a glittery spider.  I love the "zebra" effect, which can be done to any 2-tone cheesecake.  Halloween design on top can be changed up appropriately or omitted completely.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c graham crackers
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa
1/3 c granulated sugar
5 T melted butter

5 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
3 T flour
2/3 c granulated sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 c + 2 T Frangelico, divided
1/4 c heavy cream, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c hazelnut spread
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp shortening
14 Hazelnut Pirouette cookies, cut in half

Heat oven to 500*F.

Combine first 4 ingredients and mix until moistened.  Press into the bottom and halfway up sides of a 10" springform pan.  Wrap the pan with 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Place in a roasting pan and set aside.  In the meantime, heat up enough water to come half way up the sides of the cheesecake pan.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and flour until smooth.  Add eggs 1 at a time alternating with sugar.  Mix well after each addition. With mixer on low, add 1/2 c Frangelico, heavy cream and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Remove a little more than half of the batter into a separate bowl.  To the original bowl of batter add remaining 1/3 c Frangelico and the hazelnut spread.  Mix on low until well combined. Amounts of each batter should be about equal.  With a large muffin scoop or 1/2 c measuring cup, start with white batter and pour 1 measure into center of crust, then carefully add the chocolate batter using the same measurement to the center of the white.  Add the same measurement of white to the middle of the chocolate and so on, alternating until all the batter is used.  This technique pushes the batter of each circle towards the edge of the pan.  It takes a while to do, but the result is worth it. DO NOT shake the pan or move the batter or it will disturb the "zebra" effect.  When you slice the cheesecake, you will see the zebra affect shown in the photos.
Please roasting pan with cheesecake on middle rack in oven.  Slowly pour the hot water into the roasting pan. Bake the cheesecake for 10 minutes.  Lower heat to 300*F and continue baking for an additional hour and 10 minutes.  Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit inside for an hour.  Remove cheesecake from roasting pan and place on oven rack with door propped open for an additional hour.  Refrigerate cheesecake for 4 hours or overnight.
Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Take half a Hazelnut Pirouette cookie, and with a knife spread some melted chocolate on the side of the bottom half and attach cookie to side of cheesecake.  The chocolate works like glue so the cookies will stick to the cheesecake. Take a 2nd cookie with melted chocolate and attach that directly across from the first cookie.  Continue, placing each cookie halfway between 2 cookies until cookies go around entire cheesecake at even intervals.  You can make it as close together or spaced apart as you like.  I left a little bit of space.  Decorate or serve with dollops of sweetened whipped cream if desired.

 Say CHEESEcake!