Chocolate Topped White Chocolate Cheesecake Food

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170 C (340 F) standard / 150 C (300 F) fan-forced. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with baking or parchment paper.
• Add cookies to a food processor and whiz until finely crushed. Place crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Melt butter in the microwave, then pour over cookie crumbs and mix well. It should resemble wet sand.
• Place wet crumbs in your prepared pan and press down gently to form one even layer. Use the back of a spoon to smooth crumbs. Pop in the fridge.
• Add cream cheese (make sure it's nice and soft) to a large mixing bowl and beat for a minute or two until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and vanilla and beat again. Then add eggs, one at a time, beating on a low speed until incorporated.
• Add sour cream, cornflour and melted chocolate and stir until smooth - but try not to overmix. Add white chocolate chunks.
• Pour cheesecake filling over cookie crust and smooth the top. Bake in the oven for approximately 35-40 minutes or until it no longer wobbles in the middle. Try not to over bake it as it will continue to cook as it cools. Leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar (with the oven turned off) for at least one hour.
• Remove cheesecake and leave to cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge. The cheesecake is best left in the fridge for 3-4 hours (or overnight) until it cools completely and becomes nice and firm before slicing.
• To serve, top with fresh raspberries and dust with icing sugar.

CONTEST-WINNING WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan. , In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs and yolks; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in white chocolate. Pour over crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. , Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until center is just set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. , For sauce, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Add strawberries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in a few drops of food coloring if desired. Cool. , Spread strawberry sauce over top of cheesecake; drizzle with melted white chocolate. Refrigerate leftovers.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Set racks in the lower third and middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Add the melted butter and mix with your hands until combined. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Freeze until ready to fill.
• Make the filling: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a small pot; remove from the heat. Put the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set over the pot (do not let the bowl touch the water); stir until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and set aside.
• Beat the cream cheese, sour cream and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the cornstarch and beat 2 minutes. Beat in the melted white chocolate, vanilla and salt until combined.
• Fill a roasting pan halfway with water and set on the lower oven rack. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and set on the middle oven rack. Bake until the edge is set but the center still jiggles slightly, 1 hour, 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven, 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Make the compote: Spread the cranberries on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar and set aside until they release some of their juices, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2/3 cup sugar, the orange zest and juice, and 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.
• Drain the cranberries and add them to the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until they begin to burst, about 7 minutes. Transfer the compote to a bowl and refrigerate until completely cool.
• Before serving, run a hot knife around the edge of the cheesecake, then remove the springform ring. Top with the cranberry compote and shaved white chocolate.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• You will need 1 x 20cm/8-inch springform cake tin. Put the pieces of white chocolate into a heatproof bowl that will sit on top of a saucepan. Fill the pan with a small amount of water, just enough to come up about 3-4cm / 1½ inches up the sides, and bring to the boil. Sit the bowl of chocolate on top, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Turn the heat down and let the white chocolate melt very gently, every now and then giving it a careful stir with a silicone spatula. Once there are only a few small lumps of unmelted chocolate left, give it another stir then remove the bowl and sit it somewhere for about 10 minutes, until the chocolate remains liquid but is cooled to room temperature. For the base, break the biscuits into a food processor and blitz until you have almost all crumbs. Add the butter and process again until the mixture starts to clump and cleave to the blade. If doing this by hand, put the biscuits into a bag, crush to crumbs, then melt the butter and stir into the biscuit crumbs until well mixed. Press the biscuit mixture into the springform cake tin, letting some come a little way up the sides. The back of a dessert or serving spoon is the easiest tool for the already easy job here. Stash the tin in the fridge while you get on with the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese in a bowl that will take all the ingredients later - a wooden spoon is fine here - until it is soft. Gently fold in the slightly cooled, melted white chocolate. Softly whip the cream so it is thickened but the peaks don't hold their shape, then fold it into the white chocolate mixture in two batches. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and fold these in, then pour and scrape the pale, almost-moussy mixture into the biscuit-lined tin. Smooth the top, cover the tin with cling film and refrigerate overnight before serving. When you're ready to eat it, make sure it's been out of the fridge for 10 minutes before unclipping from the tin and cutting it into slices. Don't expect to be able to remove the whole cheesecake from the tin's base unless you are both patient and dexterous. I was once foolhardy enough to try...

CHOCOLATE-TOPPED CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, sugar and cocoa; stir in butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 1-in. up the side of a greased 9-in. springform pan; set aside. , In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in melted chocolate and extracts just until blended. Pour into crust., Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate until completely cooled., In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips, cream and honey; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat; cool for 5 minutes. Pour topping over the cheesecake. Chill for at least 4 hours or until topping is set.

LEMONY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan; set aside. , In a small bowl, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar and zest; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of prepared pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in white chocolate, flour, cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. , Place pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake 65-85 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. , Remove pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour . Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with white chocolate and lemon zest strips if desired. Freeze option: Wrap individual portions of cheesecake in plastic wrap and place in a resealable plastic freezer bag. Seal bag and freeze for future use. To use, thaw completely in the refrigerator.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Crush the biscuits in a food processor until completely ground. Add butter and whizz again until you have the desired crumbly consistency.
• Grease and line the base of a 23cm deep, loose-bottomed cake tin. Add the biscuit mixture to the cake tin and pat it flat. Leave to set in the fridge for approximately 30 mins.
• Begin melting the chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl over a small pan of hot water on a low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 mins until barely warm but still liquid.
• Meanwhile whisk the cream cheese and mascarpone together. Add double cream and keep whisking until the mixture is just holding its own shape. Finally, add the melted chocolate and whisk until just combined.
• Spoon the mixture over the cooled and set biscuit base, then smooth the top. Return to the fridge to cool for at least 6 hrs until the topping is set. Finally, decorate with fruit.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH ALMOND TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan. Place on a baking sheet., In a small bowl, combine gingersnap crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Bake until set, 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in melted white chocolate. Combine pumpkin and spices; gently fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour over crust. , Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake until center is just set and top appears dull, 60-70 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cool. , For topping, combine all the ingredients; spread in a shallow baking pan. Bake until almonds are golden brown, 10 minutes, stirring twice. Cool. Transfer topping to an airtight container; store in the refrigerator., Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, sprinkle topping over cheesecake.