Cream Cheese Swirl Tart With Chocolate Crust Recipes

CHOCOLATE-SWIRLED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. To make the crust, combine graham crackers, melted butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix well with a fork to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan that has been coated with non-stick spray. Set aside.
• To make the filling, melt chocolate in a double boiler or medium bowl over simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until smooth and creamy. Fold in sugar and flour. Pour filling into prepared pan.
• Drizzle melted chocolate over surface of cheesecake. Using a toothpick swirl the chocolate into the filling, just until decorative swirls form (don't over-swirl, or you'll lose the effect).
• Bake 1 hour, or until center is set. Turn off oven, prop open the oven door (not all the way, just slightly), and allow the cake to cool 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

CREAM CHEESE SWIRL TART WITH CHOCOLATE CRUST

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a medium bowl, stir the flour, oats, brown sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder to combine. Add the butter to the bowl and mix with your hands (or a fork or pastry cutter) until the butter is incorporated and the mixture starts to look crumbly. (Try to work quickly, so the butter stays chilled.) Add 2 tablespoons cool water and mix until the mixture comes together to form large clumps. (It should hold together firmly when squeezed.) If the mixture looks dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it comes together. If it feels too soft, transfer to the refrigerator to firm up for a few minutes.
• Using your fingers, press the prepared streusel into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base. Work your way around the edges of the tart pan, pressing firmly to make sure it is evenly thick. Break away any excess that pops over the edge of the pan so that it is relatively flush. Crumble the excess streusel into the base of the pan, and press it into an even layer.
• Transfer the crust in the tart pan to the freezer while you heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Transfer the chilled crust to a baking sheet and bake until it appears set and dry to the touch in the center, 20 to 23 minutes. Cool completely.
• While the crust cools, prepare the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or if using a hand mixer, in a large bowl), whip the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.
• With the mixer running on medium-low speed, gradually add the cream a little at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding more. Continue to whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is thick and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well. Add the vanilla and almond extract and whip until well combined.
• In a small pot, heat the jam until warm; this should loosen the mixture considerably. If the jam contains large pieces of fruit, you can use a fork or potato masher to crush them slightly, once the mixture is warm. Strain the jam through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly to extract as much as possible. Discard any solids or seeds that remain in the strainer.
• Drizzle about 1/2 of the warm, strained jam over the cream cheese filling. (Don't worry about adding the warm mixture to the cold filling; it will set up as it hits the cold mixture). Gently fold it a few times to loosely combine the two. Scoop the filling into the cooled crust and spread into a relatively even layer. Drizzle the remaining jam over the surface of the filling. Use a small offset spatula or the back of a small spoon to swoop across the filling back and forth a few times to lightly swirl the jam into the filling, leaving some large streaks of jam. (Note: If you mix too much, the two mixtures will combine and you'll end up with a tinted filling rather than a streaky filling.) Serve immediately, or chill for up to 24 hours, loosely covered, before serving.
• To remove the tart from the pan, support the base with one hand and push upward to release it from the outer ring. If desired, run a small offset spatula around the bottom to help release the tart from the base and slide it onto a serving platter. (Alternately, you can leave the tart on its base and simply set on top of a serving platter.)

CHOCOLATE SWIRL CHEESECAKE IN CHOCOLATE CRUST

Steps:

• 1. In small mixing bowl beat cheese on medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add egg and vanilla, beating until just combined.
• 2. Reserve 1/4 cup of cream cheese mixture. Pour remaining cream cheese mixture into crust. Stir chocolate into reserved cream cheese mixture.
• 3. Spoon chocolate mixture over cream cheese mixture in crust. With knife gently swirl chocolate mixture into cream cheese mixture.
• 4. Bake at 300°F about 35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Garnish as desired. Store in refrigerator

CREAM CHEESE TART SHELLS

Steps:

• Blend cream cheese and butter or margarine. Stir in flour just until blended. Chill about 1 hour. This can be made ahead and chilled for up to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Shape dough into 24 one-inch balls and press into ungreased 1 1/2 inch muffin cups (mini-muffin size) to make a shallow shell. Fill with your favorite filling and bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust is light brown.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-CREAM CHEESE FRUIT TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 12-inch tart pan.
• Beat butter and confectioners' sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in flour until mixture is crumbly. Press into the prepared tart pan.
• Bake crust until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Beat melted and cooled white chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl until smooth. Mix in cream cheese until thoroughly combined. Spread over cooled crust. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Combine 1/2 cup water and white sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix remaining 1/2 cup water and cornstarch together in a bowl until cornstarch dissolves; add to sugar mixture. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and clears, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup and return to a boil. Remove glaze from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Arrange strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries over cream cheese layer and brush with glaze. Chill for at least 1 hour; store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 °. In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Bake 12-15 minutes or until crust is set. Cool on a wire rack., In another small bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over bottom of prepared crust. Arrange strawberry halves, cut side down, over filling. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour., Just before serving, drizzle fudge topping over tart. Refrigerate leftovers.