Japanese-New York Fusion Green Tea Chocolate Cheesecake

the80srule's Note:

A decadent smash of East meets West! It has the thick structure of a good ol NYC style cheesecake yet the fluffy, cotton candy like texture of Tokyo-style cheesecake. It uses real matcha (green tea powder, genuine Japanese matcha and green tea extracts are much drier than the green teas marketed to Americans) and a decadant shortbread crust. Chocolate, matcha, and shortbread are a match made in heaven! You can find matcha powder at most Asian grocery stores (including online if you don't have one near you)-- I used two little packets, they're about 5g/1 tsp each then upped it to 3 on the next try because I wanted a stronger flavor. It's awesome with some traditional milk tea! :) Some other notes about this recipe-- 1) I have to give credit where credit is due, the shortbread crust was taken from another recipe on here for matcha cheesecake by Japanese Delight. I loved it so much I decided to use it in my own recipes, although I prefer this filling instead. 2) I put down 30g cocoa powder as an average, as most drinking cocoa packets are 28-30g. I used one that was 31g. Anywhere near 30g will do just fine. 3) I used my regular NYC-style cheesecake recipe as the base but accidentally put in 4 eggs-- and I think that's why it's so fluffy! Now I do it on purpose. 4) IMPORTANT-- times listed work best for my Casa Ghetto convection oven. Most of the time when I bake using recipes on here, I have to adjust the time downward-- so I listed some approximations to cover real ovens. So please set your timer for shorter times first then let it bake more if it looks like it needs it; better to do that than end up with burnt food. 5) One small cup of Stoneyfield Farms organic French vanilla yogurt works best in the filling, and so does 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 cup sugarless green tea with a drop of vanilla extract. 6) Yields one 10" cheesecake, or two 8" cheesecakes. 8) Prep time does not include cooling time!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 16

Yield: 2.0 cheesec ...

SHORTBREAD CRUST

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3; cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter (one whole standard stick, make sure it's good and soft but not melted)

GREEN TEA FILLING

• 24 ounces cream cheese (softened, or else it will clump)
• 4 eggs (on second try, using egg whites only worked great)
• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt (one 6-8oz container works...or mix 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 cup sugarless green tea with a smid)
• 1 ¼ cups sugar (caster's sugar is the best( if you're like me and don't keep it handy, measure out 1 1/4 cups regula)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 teaspoons green tea powder (authentic matcha)

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup sugar
• 30 g cocoa powder (1 envelope drinking cocoa)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Make sure the butter is softened (but not melted!) then mix it with the other CRUST ingredients.
3. Beat these ingredients well with an electric mixer, it may appear very crumbly at first if the butter wasn't very soft. If that's the case let it sit for a few minutes to let the butter soften then beat again, it should have a very smooth consistency and wonderful smell.
4. Smoosh the moist shortbread into an ungreased pie pan (see prep notes), so it is fully and evenly covered. Be sure to poke holes in the crust with a fork first so it gives it room to breathe.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, then remove the pan and let it cool for 8-10 minutes-- the crust may have risen a bit if you didn't poke it first, the cooling will naturally let it fall too. Let it cool as you mix the filling.
6. Meanwhile, raise the oven temp to 450.
7. Beat the cream cheese and eggs together--followed by the vanilla, lemon juice, flour, and sugar.
8. Mix in the vanilla yogurt. The mixture should have a runny consistency.
9. Strain the mixture carefully in a fine-net colander if your cream cheese wasn't too soft and clumps got in there.
10. Add in the matcha packets, and blend on low speed. Use a wooden spoon or rubber scraper to get all the green tea powder bits off the sides of the bowl and make sure it's all thoroughly mixed.
11. Pour half the mixture into the pie pan (if making 2 cheesecakes) with your now cooked and cooled shortbread crust. If you're making just one large cheesecake, pour the entire mixture inches.
12. Bake for 10 minutes. (If you're doing 2 cheesecakes--save the other half of the mixture in an airtight container, and refridgerate.).
13. Lower the temperature to 300 and bake for 25-45 minutes according to your oven strength. I found that for the 8" cake this size in my convection oven, I only needed about 25 minutes because the top was nice and brown and it hardly moved when I tried to pull it out of the oven. It needed 35 for the 10" cake. The cake should be set in the center, that's how you'll know it's ready.
14. Pull the cake out and let it cool for 5-10 minutes-- but leave the oven on at 300.
15. In a medium sized bowl, mix the the GLAZE by first putting the plain yogurt and vanilla together.
16. Add the sugar and mix well.
17. To fully incorporate the cocoa powder, add the cocoa powder bit by bit (about 1/2 tsp at a time) and mix each time until there's no more cocoa left. You should have a bowl of what appears to be rich-looking chocolate mousse.
18. When the cheesecake is done cooling, spread half of the chocolate glaze on top of the cheesecake (if doing the 2 cheesecake route, use the whole thing if you're doing the one large cheesecake). If you're making 2 cheesecakes put the other half of the mixture in an airtight container and refridgerate.
19. Bake for another 10 minutes.
20. Turn the oven off, and let the cheesecake sit in there for 45 min-1 hour.
21. Cover the cake(s) in foil then refridgerate for 2-3 hours.
22. Slice, serve, and enjoy!