Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and lightly grease and line the bottom of a springform pan. If you're feeling fancy, go ahead and line the sides too.

Bring some water to boil in a small pot, which will serve as your water bath later.

For the rich chocolate coffee cookie crust, toss those Oreo cookies into a food processor and blitz until they become mostly fine crumbs. Add the espresso powder and melted butter to the crumbs and pulse until it all clumps together beautifully. Press this chocolate mixture into the bottom of your springform pan.

While the cookie crust chills in the fridge, combine 3 tablespoons of instant espresso powder with 2 tablespoons of warm water in a small bowl until you have a silky espresso mixture. Once it cools, whisk it together with the heavy cream and sour cream until smooth.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on low until it’s velvety smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Gradually add the sugar, blending until incorporated. Add in the espresso and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.

Slowly introduce the eggs, one at a time, mixing on the lowest speed just until incorporated. Take care not to overmix; we don’t want to disturb that lovely creaminess!

Pour the luscious espresso cheesecake filling into your prepared cookie crust. Place the springform pan inside a larger roasting pan and pour the simmering water into the larger pan — this is where the magic happens during baking.

Slide everything into the oven and let it bake for 65–75 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the edges have set, and the center has a delightful jiggle, like jello.

After baking, turn off your oven, crack the door open, and let the cheesecake cool inside for an hour. Then transfer it to a cooling rack and let it sit at room temperature for an additional hour.

Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight if you can resist!

To make the chocolate coffee ganache, mix the instant espresso powder into the heavy cream and heat it until it’s just simmering. Pour it over the chocolate chips in a bowl and give it a gentle stir until it melts into a luscious ganache.

Spread the cooled ganache over the chilled cheesecake, topping it with chocolate shavings if you’d like. Let it set in the fridge for another 15-20 minutes before slicing.