Cream Cheese Swirl Tart With Chocolate Crust Food

PHILADELPHIA CHOCOLATE-VANILLA SWIRL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix cookie crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom of foil-lined 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 min.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each just until blended.
• Reserve 1 cup batter. Stir chocolate into remaining batter; pour over crust. Top with spoonfuls of reserved batter.
• Swirl batters with knife. Bake 40 min. or until centre is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours.

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.

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.)

IRISH CREAM CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan with a removeable bottom with shortening or butter and place a circle of parchment paper to cover the bottom. Lightly spray the tart pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Pulse the sandwich cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. You should have about 1 3/4 cups. Combine the cookie crumbs with the confectioners' sugar, melted butter and salt in a medium bowl (or pulse in the food processor) until combined. Transfer to the tart pan. Press the crumb mixture evenly up the sides of the pan to make about a 1/4-inch-thick crust, then press the remaining crumbs into the bottom. (Use a flat-bottomed glass to press the crust tightly along the bottom and sides.) Place on a sheet tray and bake for 12 minutes until the crust looks dry. (It may puff a bit-that is OK.) Set aside to cool completely.
• For the filling: Whip the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to medium peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a medium bowl and refrigerate.
• Add the water to a small microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Set aside to allow the gelatin to bloom and absorb the water.
• In the same bowl used for the whipped cream, whip the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar, Irish cream, vanilla and salt. Whip on low to combine. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula, then whip on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl and mix again if needed to smooth out the mixture.
• Melt the gelatin in the microwave in 10 second intervals, swirling the bowl after each. It should take about 20 seconds until it is melted and clear. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the hot gelatin and stir until smooth. Working quickly, pour the gelatin into the cream cheese mixture and blend on low to combine, then raise the speed to medium and mix until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 10 seconds.
• Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and use a spatula to fold it into the cream cheese mixture in thirds. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell, smooth the top and sprinkle the gold sugar pearls over the tart. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours and up to overnight. You can cover the tart by inverting a large bowl over top or by placing the tart pan in a 10-inch or larger cake pan and covering the cake pan with foil.
• For the topping: Once the tart is completely chilled, put the softened cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and use a rubber spatula to mix until smooth. Add a couple drops of green gel food coloring and a splash of the heavy cream and mix with the spatula to loosen the mixture. Add the remaining heavy cream, Irish cream and vanilla. Secure the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium speed until medium-stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust the green color as desired.
• Finish the tart. Unmold the tart by pushing the bottom of the tart pan up and out of the ring. Slide an offset spatula under the tart to loosen it from the removable bottom and parchment and transfer it to a serving platter. Put the whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (or simply cut a 1/2-inch opening at the base of the bag) and pipe swirls of whip cream along the edge of the tart. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the whipped cream. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator up to 1 day.

DARK & WHITE CHOCOLATE CARDAMOM SWIRL TART

Steps:

• Crush the cardamom pods with a pestle and mortar, then put the seeds and the husks in a medium pan. Pour in the cream and sugar, stir, then heat gently until the cream begins to simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, finely chop the white chocolate in a food processor, then tip into a medium bowl. Repeat with the cacao, tip this into another bowl and add the butter. Season each chocolate with a pinch of salt.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and lightly grease a 23cm fluted tart tin or springform tin. Without cleaning the processor, tip in the digestives and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse in the melted butter and sugar until the mixture looks like wet sand, then press firmly into the base of the tin. Slide it onto a baking sheet, bake for 10 mins, then cool completely.
• When the base is cold, reheat the infused cream to a simmer. Strain half the cream on top of the white chocolate and stir. Add the milk to what is left in the pan, reheat, then strain this over the chopped cacao and butter, and stir. It will take a few mins before each chocolate melts completely.
• Pour all but about 3 tbsp of the cacao ganache on top of the biscuit base and chill for 15 mins or until just set. Now flood the top with the white chocolate ganache. Finish with the reserved cacao mix, dropping 6 dollops on top like a clock face, and one in the middle. Use a skewer to swirl the colours together. Chill for at least 4 hrs or ideally overnight to let the ganache set firm, then bring it out of the fridge for 30 mins before serving.

EASY CHEESECAKE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Beat cream cheese and sugar till smooth. Add sour cream, then egg and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl to prevent lumps.
• Pour batter evenly into each graham tart. Dollop with a 1 teaspoon of jam or chocolate syrup. If using of chocolate syrup, using a toothpick, swirl the chocolate through the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set.
• Remove from oven and place on cooling rack for 30 minutes Then refrigerate for 2 hours. Great served with a dollop of whipped cream.

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.

CREAM CHEESE TARTS (PAULA DEEN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup (12 total) of muffin pan.
• Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
• Place a vanilla wafer FLAT side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers filling each to about 1/4 inch from top of paper.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Allow tarts to cool completely before filling. When you remove the tarts from the oven, they will be puffed up, but as they cool, the center will sink, creating the perfect well to fill with a couple of spoonfuls of your favorite filling.
• Chill thoroughly before serving.