Mascarpone Cheesecake in Mexican Chocolate Crust

seahorse73's Note:

Wanted to make a "different" cheesecake, boy this is it! Time includes the refrigeration.

• Total Time: 5 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 5 hrs
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

For the Chocolate-Pecan Crumb Crust

• 2 ounces mexican chocolate (such as Ibarra)
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 10 graham crackers
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Mascarpone Filling

• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 ½ lbs mascarpone cheese
• 24 ounces cream cheese , softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups cream

Directions:

1. For the Crust:.
2. Set oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Chop chocolate and drop through feed tube of a running food processor or blender.
4. Add graham crackers and pecans and process until they are fine crumbs.
5. Pour crumbs into a 10- or 12-inch diameter springform pan.
6. Stir in cinnamon and brown sugar.
7. Add melted butter and, using your fingers, quickly mash the mixture until the crumbs hold together.
8. Use your knuckles to press up the sides, then press over bottom of pan.
9. Bake 10 minutes.
10. Cool.
11. For the Filling:.
12. Dissolve gelatin in water in a small bowl, then set aside to soften for 5 minutes.
13. To keep gelatine liquefied, set bowl in a larger bowl of hot water.
14. Beat mascarpone and cream cheese at high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.
15. Gradually pour in sugar while continuing to beat.
16. At medium speed, beat in lemon juice and vanilla extract.
17. Remove bowl from mixer and, using a large rubber spatula, quickly fold gelatine into cheese mixture.
18. In a cold bowl and with cold beaters, whip cream to stiff peaks.
19. Fold a scoop of cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it and make it easier to blend with the cream.
20. Then fold remaining cream into the cheese base.
21. Pour into cooled crust.
22. Cover well with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours.
23. Decorate with shaved chocolate and more whipped cream piped at intervals around the rim of the cake.
24. Slice wedges with a knife dipped in a tall glass of hot water, then wiped dry.

Reviews

[oilpatchjo]

Hi seahorse73, I made this cheesecake for this New Year's eve 2009. At the party the guests could not stop talking about the cheesecake flavour and the crust with the chocolate combination as this was a extremely important event I wanted a very special dessert and did I ever get that and more! I used the exact recipe and I feel that the Mexican Chocolate is what brings all the flavours together. The cheesecake came off the spring form pan disk with great ease no sticking as I was concerned because of the amount of chocolate in the crust and the crust held well with slicing for a great presentation! Thanks, for posting, seahorse73.