If you can remember a few weeks ago, I got a little excited over some mini berry cheesecakes I had fun preparing and decorating one night with my roommate Christy. Here is another report back on my personal challenge to develop and try out some fun new cheesecake recipes. As it turns out, once you figure out how to get the basic consistency of the cheesecake batter, you have basically gotten through the tough part. You just keep adding delicious little bits of flavor and texture, and BOOM! you have a delicious dessert that is sure to impress. I got the idea for this dessert from an absolutely delicious pie I tried at a cafe in Budapest, Hungary. I hope I've done it some justice.
INGREDIENTS
CRUST
1 1/2 C. chocolate cookie crumbs
1 Tbsp. sugar
6 Tbsp. butter, softened or even melted
FILLING
1 8 Oz. pkg of cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tsp. vanilla
1 Egg
Juice from 1 medium sized lemon
TOPPING
1 C. fresh blueberries
1/2 C. fresh blackberries
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4-1/3 C. slivered almonds
ALSO
2 mixing bowls
1 8 inch round non stick baking dish
1 small sauce pan
1 sandwich bag
Begin by preheating your oven to 375 F. Place chocolate cookies in a sandwich bag, and crush until they are a semi fine texture. Place the cookie crumbs in a mixing bowl and add softened or melted butter and sugar. Mix until you can compress the crumbs together in your hand and they can loosely hold their shape. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of your 8 inch round to form a thick chocolate crust.
On the side, prepare a mixed berry sauce to top off and marble into the cheesecake batter later. Just take fresh whole berries and a tablespoon of sugar and allow it to simmer and cook down over a medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Use a fork or spoon to crush a few of the berries and release some juice for the rest to cook in. You can basically leave this alone while preparing the batter, just stir occasionally. What I was going for was a sort of berry syrup with a bit of flesh still for some texture. Besides an extra sweet tart taste the berry syrup mixture adds a beautiful rich bluish purple color to the finished pie.
In a second mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together softened cream cheese and sugar. You want smooth consistency. Add one egg, vanilla, and lemon juice. Whisk these all together until you get a very smooth texture, about 5-7 minutes. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the prepared chocolate crust, and even it out. Then spoon on top in a sort of random pattern at least half of your berry mixture, if you want to save some to use at the end to pour over a warm slice. Use a knife or toothpick to swirl the dark purple berry mix into the off white cream cheese mix. Don't mix too much or else you will just end up with a purple pie, unless that is what you are going for :) Sprinkle on top some almond slivers for some crunch, and throw it in the oven for 25-30 minutes, checking often towards the end to make sure the top doesn't brown too much.
Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 10-15 minutes. Enjoy the it plain, or with some leftover berry syrup. More importantly, remember to enjoy it with a friend.
 |
| The pie which inspired this post. Chocolate cheesecake with tart blueberry sauce and star fruit from Cafe Jelen in Budapest, Hungary. Delicious then and delicious now. |
No comments:
Post a Comment