Mascarpone Cheesecake With Candied Pecans And Dulce De Leche Sauce Food

DULCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In heavy small saucepan combine 1/2 cup cream and brown sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to moderate, steady boil. Boil, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Refrigerate.
• In small mixing bowl beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and flour on medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon cream, vanilla and peel. Beat until combined. Add egg, beating until just combined.
• Pour into crust. Place on baking sheet. Drizzle with half of brown sugar mixture. Gently swirl with knife. Bake at 350* for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
• Before serving, in small saucepan cook and stir remaining brown sugar mixture over low heat until warm. Cut cheesecake into wedges. Drizzle with warm brown sugar mixture.

MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Stir together cookie crumbs and butter in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup crumb mixture for sprinkling over cheesecake, then pat remainder onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of springform pan (about 1 inch thick). Put pan in a shallow baking pan and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, about 25 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Make filling while crust bakes:
• Beat cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and salt and mix at low speed until combined. Pour into cooled crust and bake until cake is set and puffed around edge but still trembles slightly when pan is shaken gently, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly in springform pan on rack, about 20 minutes. (Cheesecake will continue to set as it cools.) Leave oven on.
• Make topping:
• Stir together sour cream, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and spoon over cheesecake, spreading gently and evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge.
• Bake cheesecake until topping is set, about 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge to help prevent cracking. Sprinkle top with reserved crumbs and cool completely in pan on rack, then chill, loosely covered, at least 8 hours.

MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE W. CANDIED PECANS AND DULCE DE LECHE SAUCE

Steps:

• For crust:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Finely grine pecans in processor.
• Mix butter, flour, ground pecans, sugar and vanilla essence.
• Press into greased 9" springform pan.
• For filling:.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth.
• Add mascarpone and flour; beat until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
• Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
• Pour filling over crust in the springform pan.
• Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.
• Bake cheesecake until top is golden and cake is almost set (center 2 inches will still move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile --
• For candied pecans:.
• Line baking sheet with foil; spray with nonstick spray.
• Combine sugar, and water in heavy small saucepan.
• Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water and swirling pan, about 7 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Immediately stir in pecans. Quickly pour mixture out onto prepared baking sheet. Working quickly and using 2 forks, separate pecans into individual halves. Cool completely.
• Break candied pecans apart, leaving each pecan half intact with some candied caramel attached.
• (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Makes about 1 cup.).
• (Can toast pecans at 350°F for 5-7 minutes first before stirring them into caramel).
• For dulce de leche sauce:.
• Combine whipping cream and brown sugar in heavy medium saucepan.
• Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• Boil until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in sweetened condensed milk.
• (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium-low heat just until warm and pourable. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.).
• Cool cake on rack 1 hour.
• Refrigerate uncovered overnight.
• (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.).
• Arrange Candied Pecans decoratively atop cake. Cut cake into wedges. Serve with Dulce de Leche Sauce.
• *Italian cream cheese, available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.