Sweet Cheesecake Recipes
Mascarpone Cheesecake in Mexican Chocolate Crust
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients
Chocolate-Pecan Crumb Crust
- 1 (2 ounce) round tablet Mexican table chocolate (such as Ibarra)
- 2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
- 10 double Graham crackers
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Mascarpone Filling
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatine
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 1/2 pounds mascarpone cheese
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups cream
Instructions
- Set oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Chop chocolate and drop through feed tube of a running food processor or blender.
- Add Graham crackers and pecans and process until they are fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a 10 or 12 inch diameter springform pan.
- Stir in cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Add melted butter and, using your fingers, quickly mash the mixture until the crumbs hold together. Use your knuckles to press up the sides, then press over bottom of pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Let cool.
- Dissolve gelatin in water in a small bowl, then set aside to soften for 5 minutes. To keep gelatine liquefied, set bowl in a larger bowl of hot water.
- Beat mascarpone and cream cheese at high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.
- Gradually pour in sugar while continuing to beat.
- At medium speed, beat in lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Remove bowl from mixer and, using a large rubber spatula, quickly fold gelatine into cheese mixture.
- In a cold bowl and with cold beaters, whip cream to stiff peaks.
- Fold a scoop of cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it and make it easier to blend with the cream.
- Fold remaining cream into the cheese base. Pour into cooled crust.
- Cover well with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours.
- Decorate with shaved chocolate and more whipped cream piped at intervals around the rim of the cake.
- Slice wedges with a knife dipped in a tall glass of hot water,
then wiped dry.