To prepare the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare a 9″ springform pan by wrapping it in sheets of aluminum foil. I use 3 layers of extra wide, heavy duty foil wrapped to the top lip of the pan. Spray the inside walls and bottom of the pan with cooking spray.
3. Process your chocolate sandwich cookies in the blender on medium speed until they have been reduced to crumbs. Combine the crumbs with the espresso powder and melted butter in a small bowl until the crumbs are well moistened. Gently pat out your mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.

To prepare the cheesecake:

1. Begin boiling some water in a kettle or saucepan for your water bath.
2. Place the softened cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream on medium speed until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the cocoa powder and eggs.  Stir on medium until integrated. Add the cream and vanilla extract and stir to combine. 
3. Strain the cheesecake batter through a mesh strainer (if desired) into a reserved bowl. Pour the strained batter on top of the crust. Gently rap the pan on the counter to help any air bubbles escape. 
4. Place your springform pan into a slightly larger baking dish/pan and fill the larger pan with the boiling water you prepared for the water bath until the water reaches about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Carefully place both pans in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. After an hour of baking, the edges and top of the cheesecake should be set but still slightly jiggle in the center. Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for an additional hour. Remove from oven and aluminum foil, discard the water bath, and then place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for several hours or overnight. The cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for several days.
5. When ready to serve, top with warmed caramel sauce, slice and serve.