White Chocolate Cheesecake W Almond Crust Food

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITH COCOA-ALMOND CRUST

Steps:

• Combine first 6 ingredients; stir well.
• Firmly press crumb mixture on bottom and 2 inches up sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes; cool in pan on a wire rack.
• Combine white chocolate and 1/2 cup whipping cream in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low; cook until white chocolate melts, stirring occasionally.
• Let cool.
• Beat cream chees at medium speed of an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugaar, beating well.
• Add remaining 1/4 cup whipping cream, beating well.
• Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.
• Stir in white chocolate mixture and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Fold into cream cheese mixture.
• Pour batter into prepared crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack.
• Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees.
• Combine sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla; stir well.
• Pour over cheesecake, leaving a 3/4 inch border on edge of cheesecake.
• Return to oven and bank an additional 7 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack.
• Chill at least 8 hours.
• Garnish with chocolate curls if desired.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE W/ ALMOND CRUST

Steps:

• 1. Gather your ingredients.
• 2. Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 355f (180c).
• 3. Take the 1 tablespoon of butter and rub on the bottom and sides of an 8-inch (20cm) spring form pan.
• 4. Cut a round piece of parchment paper the size of the bottom of the pan, and press into the butter.
• 5. Lightly butter the top of the parchment paper, and reserve.
• 6. THE CRUST
• 7. Add all the ingredients for the crust (except the butter) to a large bowl.
• 8. Thoroughly mix.
• 9. Add the butter.
• 10. Cut into the dry ingredients until combined.
• 11. Add the crust to the spring form pan, and flatten it out.
• 12. Make a slight rise around the sides of the pan.
• 13. Place into the preheated oven, and bake for 15 minutes.
• 14. Remove from oven, and allow the crust to cool.
• 15. THE FILLING
• 16. Gather your ingredients.
• 17. While the crust is cooling, add the white chocolate to the top of a double boiler, or you can place a bowl over a pot of gently simmering water.
• 18. Chef's Tip: If you're using blocks of chocolate, it will make the process go faster if you chop it up with a good sharp knife.
• 19. Stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted.
• 20. Add the melted chocolate to a large bowl, and then add the cream cheese.
• 21. Gently stir the mixture until the chocolate and cream cheese are incorporated.
• 22. Add the yolks.
• 23. Mix until the yolks are incorporated into the chocolate/cheese mixture.
• 24. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites using an electric mixer, or food processor.
• 25. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
• 26. Chef's Note: If the bowl you're using is not clean, you won't get stiff peaks.
• 27. Add half the egg whites to the mixture.
• 28. Gently fold until incorporated.
• 29. Chef's Note: Repeat with the other half of the egg whites.
• 30. Add the mixture to the spring form pan.
• 31. Bake the cheesecake in a bain marie until set, about 45 minutes.
• 32. Chef's Note: A "bain marie" is a water bath. Take a baking dish, large enough to hold the spring form pan. Place the dish and pan into the oven, and then fill the baking dish up with hot water, to about halfway up the spring form pan. This will cook the cheesecake with a gentle, moist heat.
• 33. Chef's Tip: If your spring form pan is not water tight, you need to wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil before placing in the bain marie.
• 34. After the cake has set, turn off the oven, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
• 35. Remove, from oven, remove from bain marie, and allow to rest on the countertop for about an hour.
• 36. Run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake to separate it from the pan.
• 37. Cover and place in the refrigerator and allow the cheesecake to chill for three hours or more before serving.
• 38. Remove from the spring form pan, slice using a knife dipped in warm water, and serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy.
• 39. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust: Add the chocolate graham crackers and the almonds to a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add the butter and salt and process to the consistency of wet sand. Press the crust into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the topping: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and almonds. Using your fingers, work in the butter until the mixture has the texture of a crumble topping. Set aside.
• For the filling: Place the cream cheese, sugar and yogurt in a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, almond extract, vanilla extract and salt; beat another minute on medium. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the chocolate until combined. Pour the filling over the crust and sprinkle evenly with the crumble topping.
• Bake until the center of the cake is just set, 45 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until completely chilled.
• Serve cold, with a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.

WHITE CHOCOLATE ALMOND CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt white chocolate chips in microwave for 45 sec - 1 min stirring frequently until melted. Set aside to cool. Prepare a 10 inch springform pan. Butter insides and completely wrap outsides of pan with a double layer of heavy duty foil so water from water bath doesn't seep in and make your cheesecake soggy.
• 2. In food processor, put crust ingredients and pulse until almonds are finely chopped. Press into bottom and part way up the sides of springform pan. Chill crust in freezer while making cheesecake batter.
• 3. If you have a large enough food processor bowl, you can make the batter in it. Otherwise use a mixer. Beat creamed cheese until smooth, beat in sugar and eggs 1 at a time. Mix in heavy cream,melted white chocolate, sour cream, cornstarch and flavorings. Pour batter into chilled crust.
• 4. Make a water bath with a pan at least 2 inches bigger than cheesecake pan. Put the larger pan on center oven rack. Place cheesecake in middle and pour hot water in the large pan to 1/2 way up the cheesecake pan.
• 5. Bake cheesecake for 1 hour. While cheesecake is baking, stir together topping ingredients. Since all ovens vary, bake 10-15 minutes longer if after 1 hour it seems too jiggly to spread on the sour cream topping. Spread topping on top of cheesecake carefully and evenly. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let it sit in oven undisturbed for 1 hour.
• 6. Carefully remove cheesecake from water bath and chill. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.
• 7. I love to just put a bag of frozen bing cherries spread over the top. As they thaw they drip juice down into the cheesecake. Yummy. Or you can top this delicious cheesecake with your choice of fresh fruit or fruit topping or just serve plain. Enjoy!

ALMOND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• FOR THE CRUST:.
• Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat ot 350°F.
• Butter 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4 inch sides.
• Grind shortbreads and almonds in a food processor. Add butter and process until clumps form. Press the dough into the pan bottom. Bake until golden brown - about 8 minutes. Cool crust completely. But maintain oven temperature.
• FOR THE FILLING:.
• In top of double boiler set over barely simmering water, stir white chocolate until it is melted. Remove pan from water.
• Using a mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until completely blended and smooth. Add sour cream and Amaretto and beat until well-blended. Beat 1 egg at a time, then beat in melted chocolate.
• Pour filling into crust and bake until golden and puffed. Center will be set in just about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool pan on rack and refrigerate until cold.
• Before serving, run a knife around the sides of the spring-form pan to loosen the cake. Remove the pan sides and smooth the sides of the cake with a knife or spatula. Transfer the caker to a platter, garnish with additional chopped, toasted almonds and serve.

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place large piece of foil on heavy large baking sheet. Set 8x2-inch bottomless heart-shaped cake pan atop foil. (If unavailable, use 8-inch springform pan; omit foil.) Wrap foil around outside and 1 inch up sides of pan. Butter foil and pan. Finely grind cookies and almonds in processor. Add butter and blend until mixture forms very moist crumbs. Using plastic wrap as aid, press crumbs firmly onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.
• For Filling:
• Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth, stirring often. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and peel in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Beat in white chocolate.
• Spoon half of batter into crust. Top with 3/4 cup berries. Spoon remaining batter over. Bake until edges of cake are set but center 3 inches still moves when cake is shaken, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Using fingertips, press down gently on edges of cheesecake to flatten slightly.
• For topping:
• Whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Spoon over cake, spreading to edge of pan. Bake 5 minutes. Transfer cake in pan to rack. Run small knife around sides of cake. Cool completely. Chill cake overnight.
• Fold down foil along sides of pan. Lift cake pan off cheesecake. Transfer cheesecake to platter, discarding foil. Cover cake with berries. Bring jam to simmer in small saucepan, stirring often. Gently brush jam over berries. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead; chill.)

LEMONY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITH SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST

Steps:

• Place a 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 inches square). Securely wrap foil around pan; set aside.
• Make crust:.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes.
• Add flour and ground cookies to the mixture and blend for 3-4 seconds until fully incorporated.
• Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake the crust at 350° F for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Allow the crust to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon juice, cream and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in white chocolate and peel. Pour into crust.
• Place pan in a large baking pan; add 1 inches of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 325° for 65-85 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull.
• Remove pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.