Vanilla Baked Cheesecake With Hazelnut And Cinnamon Crust Recipes

VANILLA-HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Draining the Cheese.
• Set a strainer over a bowl and spoon the cottage cheese into it. Cover the set-up with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least all hour or until the excess moisture has drained out of the Cheese.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Making the Hazelnut Paste.
• While the cheese is draining, stir 3 tablespoons of - the sugar and the water together in a small saucepan. Cover the pan, set it over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Remove the cover, dip a pastry brush into cold water, and wash down any sugar crystals that may have formed on the sides of the pan. Keep the pan uncovered and continue to cook the sugar until it turns very pale yellow--drop a little on a white plate to test the color. Add the chopped hazelnuts to the pan and stir gently with a small wooden spoon or a chopstick just until the nuts are coated with syrup. Swirl the pan carefully and continue to cook until the syrup tests medium amber on a white plate. Immediately turn out the caramelized nuts onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Set the caramel aside to cool and harden. Break the caramel into pieces and process to a paste in a food processor. Scrape the paste into a small bowl, cover, and set aside.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF Line a 2-inch-high 8-inch round cake pan with a parchment paper circle and coat the sides of the pan lightly with vegetable oil spray. Put a kettle of water on to boil and set aside a roasting pan that will hold the cake pan and about an inch of boiling water.
• MAKING THE BATTER.
• Spoon the drained cottage cheese into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process for 2 to 3 minutes scraping down the sides as needed. Don't try to cut the processing time short-you need this time to make the cottage cheese silken. Leave the cheese in the processor while you prepare the rest of the batter's ingredients.
• Soften the Neufchatel cheese by either warming it gently in the top of a double boiler or heating it in a microwave oven for about 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Put the Neufchatel cheese into the work bowl along with the soft, pulpy seeds from the vanilla bean (just scrape them out of the pod with the point of a small knife) or the vanilla extract. Add the eggs, the remaining I cup sugar, and the salt and Pulse just Until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple times during the process. Don't overdo it, or you'll have a thin batter.
• Measure out 1 cup batter and gradually add it to the hazelnut paste, mixing well. Pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan. Drop 10 spoonfuls of the hazelnut batter randomly over the vanilla batter. Dip a table knife into tile pan and swirl the two batters to create a marbled pattern-take care not to overmix, or you'll end up blending, not marbleizing, the batters.
• Put the cake pan into the roasting pan, open the oven, slide out the lower rack, and place the pan on it. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the cake pan and then very carefully slide the oven rack back into position, taking care not to let any water slosh onto the cake. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake has risen slightly and is just beginning to come away from the sides of the pan. Remove tile cake from its water bath and put it on a rack to cool to room temperature. or for as long as 2 days.
• When completely cool, cover and chill for at least 24 hours, Or for as long as 2 days.
• UNMOLDING THE CAKE.
• To unmold the cake, run a thin metal spatula around the edges. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, place a flat plate or a cardboard cake round against the plastic, and invert the cake and plate. Rap the pan lightly to release the cake-you'll feel it fall against the plate-then remove the pan and peel away the paper. Put a serving plate or cardboard cake circle on the cake and carefully turn the cake so that it is right side up on the circle. Remove the plastic wrap and press the crumbs around the sides of the cake. Cut the cake using a long sharp knife, dipping it into hot water and wiping it dry between cuts.
• STORING.
• The cake will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap.

VANILLA BAKED CHEESECAKE WITH HAZELNUT AND CINNAMON CRUST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 24cm diametre springform cake tin and line its base with baking paper (cut to fit).
• Combine the top 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Press mixture over the base of the prepared tin so that it covers the entire base without any gaps.
• Refrigerate for 20 minutes then bake base in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven and spread evenly with jam. Reduce temperature to 150°C (130°C fan-forced).
• For the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese, ricotta, vanilla extract, half the sugar and juice in a large bowl with an electric mixer until just combined; do not over-beat.
• Combine the remaining sugar and eggs in a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 5 minutes on high speed or until thick and creamy.
• Gently fold the egg mixture into cheese mixture and carefully pour over prepared base. Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes.
• Cool cheesecake in oven with door ajar for at least 2 hrs then refrigerate overnight.
• To serve, decorate the centre of the cheesecake with a pyramid of assorted prepared truffles or chocolate curls.

CARAMEL CHEESECAKE WITH HAZELNUT CRUST

Steps:

• Make this cake one day ahead.
• For crust: Wrap foil tightly around outside of a 9-inch round springform pan.
• In food processor, blend hazelnuts and sugar together until ground finely.
• Mix in the melted butter until it forms moist clumps.
• Press onto the bottom of the pan only. Do not coat the sides.
• For filling: Preheat oven to 350 F (325 F for dark pans).
• Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl until well mixed.
• Add the eggs one at a time, and beat just until well blended.
• Pour filling into the pan.
• Bake until cheesecake is puffy and the edges are set. The center should still wobble ever so slightly when gently shaking the pan, about 50 minutes.
• Set pan onto a wire rack, and run a sharp knife around the edges.
• Cool cake completely.
• Remove the foil. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• For caramel sauce: Mix sugar and water in a heavy-duty medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Raise the heat to high, and boil without stirring until the syrup becomes a deep amber color. While heating, brush down the sides of the pan occasionally with a wet pastry brush. Also, occasionally swirl the pan. The whole process should take about 7 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and carefully add the cream (the mixture will bubble).
• Keep boiling until the sauce is reduced to 2 cups, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
• Evenly distribute 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce on top of the cheesecake, leaving a 1/2-inch border from the edges.
• Place hazelnuts around the outside edges.
• Cover and chill until the topping is fully set, about 2 hours.
• (Can be prepared 1 day ahead, if you keep cheesecake covered and chilled. Refrigerate any remaining sauce.).
• To serve: Remove sides of pan, and transfer cake to serving plate.
• Rewarm remaining sauce just until pourable but not warm.
• Cut cheesecake into slices. Pass around the sauce separately.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH HAZELNUT CRUST

Steps:

• For crust: Toast nuts in oven for 10 minutes at 350.
• Cool slightly and rub off skins.
• Place nuts in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
• Add sugar and process until nuts are finely chopped, but not greasy.
• Combin nut mixture with butter.
• Pat into bottom of 9" sprinform pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
• Cool before filling.
• For filling: Stir together sugar, spices, and cornstarch.
• Beat cream cheese until smooth.
• Gradually add sugar mixture, scraping sides of bowl often.
• Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well.
• Beat in pumpkin until just blended.
• Pour into crust-lined pan.
• Place pan of water in bottom of oven.
• Bake cake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven to 300 and bake another 30 minutes.
• Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack.
• Cover with a large bowl or pot so that it cools slowly.
• Cool completely before serving.

LEMON CHEESECAKE WITH HAZELNUT CRUST

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Finely grind nuts, cracker crumbs and powdered sugar in processor.Add butter; blend using on/off turns until crumbs are moist. Press crumbs onto bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Chill while making filling.
• Make filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Slowly add sugar; beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating 30 seconds after each. Mix in lemon juice and peel.
• Pour filling into crust. Bake cake until outer 2-inch portion of top is set and center looks slightly glossy and is barely set, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack cool to room temperature. Cover; chill overnight.
• Run knife around sides of pan to loosen. Release pan sides. Place cake on plate. Top with lemon and mint, if desired.