Monday, August 16, 2010

Can you Say Cheesecake?


Can you say cheesecake?

[Makes you smile, doesn't it?]

How about cheesecake with Hershey's Kisses?

Charlotte's favorite candy is a Hershey's Kiss. It's a guilty pleasure. One reviewer of The Long Quiche Goodbye wrote that she couldn't believe someone with Charlotte's palate would like Hershey's, but she does. Sure, she also likes Scharffenberger and other elegant chocolates, but it's Hershey's Kisses that take her back to her youth. Those little silver gifts, pulling out the "string" of paper, removing the foil. It's like Christmas every time you open it, right?

In Chapter 31, her grandfather makes a New York style cheesecake incorporating Hershey's Kisses and caramel. Oh, yum. It really is one of my finest concoctions, and since I adore Pepere, I let it be his creation. What fun fiction is!

[I know that Julie just shared cheesecake with us last week. Hers was an "easy" delicious recipe. This one takes a little more time. But it's worth it. Promise.]

CHEESECAKE WITH HERSHEY'S KISSES

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ricotta cheese

¼ c. brown rice flour

½ teaspoon Xanthan gum

4 egg yolks

½ c. sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

16 oz. cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

4 egg whites (no yolks!)

½ cup sugar

½ cup crushed chocolate chip cookies

2 tablespoons butter

8 caramels sliced in half

¼ cup chocolate chips


Directions:

Mix ricotta cheese, rice flour, Xantham gum, egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, salt until well blended.


Add cream cheese and sour cream and mix well.


Mix separately: egg whites (with no egg yolks in them) and ½ cup sugar until egg whites form a soft peak (about 6-8 minutes).


Fold the egg white mixture gently into the cheese mixture.


In a springform pan, set ½ cup crushed chocolate chip cookies.


Drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter and press with your fingertips to create a “crust.” Top with ¼ cup of the chocolate chips.


Pour cheese mixture on top of cookie crust.


Bake at 300 degrees for 1- 1 ¼ hour. Let STAND IN OVEN, turned off, for 2 hours so the cheesecake will set and not droop.


Decorate with ¼ cup of chocolate chips and the caramels sliced in half.


Enjoy!


**BTW, this cake is gluten-free if you substitute out the cookie base for gluten-free cookies. For all you regular eaters, if you do not have rice flour, you may substitute regular flour instead of rice flour in the cake itself and remove the Xanthan gum. I so regularly use rice flour, that I forget to switch back.

By the way, what's your favorite cheesecake?



***

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14 comments:

  1. Palate Schmalate... good is good

    New York style cheesecake by far is my favorite...

    With that layer of sour cream... nothing better!

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  2. I'm with Dave--sour cream...mmm! And the little kisses on top make me smile...perfect!

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  3. BTW, this does not have to be gluten-free. It can use regular flour instead of rice flour, no need for Xanthan gum then, and regular graham cracker or chocolate chip cookies for the crust. [Gluten-free people, substitute gluten-free cookies for those.]

    Avery

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  4. Chocolate and cheesecake, two great things together. Delicious sounding recipe.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  5. I've been making George Stella's low-carb cheesecake for several years. It also uses ricotta with the cream cheese and is flavored with lemon. As a big plus, it uses ground nuts for the crust.

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  6. Ooh, fabulous. We love cheesecake. As a matter of fact we have a little leftover Junior's cheesecake in the fridge today.
    This one sounds so great, Avery!
    And, Harbingerdc... a low carb cheesecake? I'm going to look that up!

    Julie

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  7. Nuts around the crust. Nice "different" suggestion, Harbingerdc.


    Almonds? Hazelnuts? Any particular kind?

    ~Avery

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  8. Ricotta, cream cheese and sour cream?! Oh, I almost forgot, Hershey kisses!! This sounds like the perfect, decadent celebration dessert. Thanks for sharing.

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  9. I think this is my new favorite cheesecake. Not sure if I'll be able to concentrate now!

    MJ

    Charlotte Adams mysteries

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  10. This is one amazing cheesecake - Junior's worthy, lol! (Also love your description of the chocolate kisses -- like opening a little holiday present. Wonderful. :)

    ~ Cleo
    Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Coffee drawing LIVE tonight at 7 PM! (EST)
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  11. Fabulous as always, Avery. Sour cream on top
    -- genius!

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  12. Oh, and my favorite is black raspberry cheesecake.
    Drool...slobber...drool...;-)

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  13. Julie & Avery and anyone else interested. I'm going to post the recipe on my Facebook page in Notes. I use my real name there - Janet Morrissey.

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  14. I was at the book event last night in Cary, and wanted to tell you it was very enjoyable! I talk about it on my blog today.

    Michele
    SouthernCityMysteries

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