Mexican-Chocolate and Mascarpone Cheesecake

Mirj's Note:

This is in response to a recipe request, although I think I've fallen in love with the ingredients! I can't wait to try out this cake, the combination of cream cheese and Mascarpone sounds heavenly! Prep time includes chill time, and the only cook time is to bake the crumb crust.

• Total Time: 4 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 4 hrs 15 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

Crust

• 2 ounces mexican chocolate
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 10 double graham crackers
• 1 cup toasted whole almond
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter

Filling

• 1 tablespoon gelatin or 1 tablespoon agar-agar
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 ½ lbs mascarpone cheese
• 1 ½ lbs cream cheese , softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups cream

Directions:

1. Crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Chop Mexican and semi-sweet chocolates.
3. In a food processor, place chopped chocolates, graham crackers and pecans.
4. Process until fine crumbs.
5. Pour crumb mixture into a springform pan and add melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.
6. Mix together in the pan.
7. Press crumb mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
8. Bake 10 minutes.
9. Cool.
10. Set aside.
11. Filling: Dissolve gelatin in water.
12. Set aside to soften for 5 minutes.
13. Beat mascarpone and cream cheese on high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.
14. Slowly pour in sugar while continuing to beat.
15. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla on medium speed.
16. Quickly fold gelatin mixture into cheese mixture.
17. Whip cream to stiff peaks.
18. Fold a scoop of whipped cream into cheese mixture.
19. Then fold in remaining the whipped cream.
20. Pour into the cooled crust.
21. Cover with plastic wrap.
22. Chill 4 hours.
23. Cut into wedges.

Reviews

[chia]

this was ALOT of work for me, the amateur" i'll do dinner, you do dessert" or "just buy entenmans" baker-- i took off a day of work just to make this, lol, but oh, was it so ever worth it! this is in the top list decadent desserts i've had, definitely worth the effort and $$ i missed :)