It’s been more than three weeks since I last posted a recipe. The reason why it took me so long was pure laziness. I enjoyed the Christmas holidays tremendously and I just couldn’t brace myself up for developing, cooking and photographing something new and writing another blog entry. Well, but the holidays are over, and I’m back. Back with a chestnut cheesecake.
I made this cake when my friend came over for a visit because I know how much she loves the combination of chestnuts and chocolate. Although she loves the simple version, i.e. plain, sugared chestnut puree with a chocolate ganache, she also liked my cheesecake.
It consists of a shortcrust pastry with almonds and a cheesecake-filling with mascarpone, cream cheese, sour cream and chestnut purée. The final touch is a chocolate ganache that is randomly spread or sprinkled on the cheesecake.
Chestnut Cheesecake
For the almond pie crust:
1 2/3 cup (200 g) plain flour
½ cup (50 g) almonds, blanched and ground (blanched = skin removed)
½ cup (110 g) butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
some salt
For the cream cheese filling:
7 ounces (200 g) chestnut purée
½ cup (100 g) mascarpone
¾ cup (180 g) cream cheese
½ cup (100 g) sour cream
2 egg yolks
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
4 teaspoons cornstarch (heaped)
2 egg whites
For the chocolate ganache:
¼ lb (4 ounces) dark chocolate
½ cup (100 ml) cream
Preheat the oven to 150°C / 300°F / gas mark 2.
For the pie crust, use all the ingredients to quickly knead a dough with a shiny surface. You can do this by hand with all the ingredients on the worktop or you can also use a food processor. Form a ball and chill the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
For the chestnut-cream cheese filling combine all the ingredients with the exception of the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and there are no chestnut lumps in it any more, using a food processor or a handheld mixer. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until they are stiff and carefully fold them into the chestnut-cream cheese mixture.
You can bake the cheesecake in a round or a rectangle tarte mold. Line the bottom and the sides with butter and dust them with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough on a floured surface to a size of about 1 ½ inches larger than the pie mold. Carefully fold the dough over the rolling pin and roll it up so it can be transferred to the pie mold. Carefully unroll the dough over the pie mold and lower it into it. Slightly press the dough to the bottom and the sides. Put the cream cheese filling into the pie mold and bake the pie in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Heat the cream in a small pot. Break the chocolate into chunks and put them into the cream. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Sprinkle or spread the ganache on the chestnut-cheesecake.
Note: This cheesecake can be served with some pureed fruits (e.g. mango purée).
Here is the recipe for printing:
- [b]For the almond pie crust: [/b]
- 1 2/3 cup (200 g) plain flour
- ½ cup (50 g) almonds, blanched and ground (blanched = skin removed)
- ½ cup (110 g) butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- some salt
- [br]
- [b]For the cream cheese filling:[/b]
- 7 ounces (200 g) chestnut purée
- ½ cup (100 g) mascarpone
- ¾ cup (180 g) cream cheese
- ½ cup (100 g) sour cream
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch (heaped)
- 2 egg whites
- [br]
- [b]For the chocolate ganache:[/b]
- ¼ lb (4 ounces) dark chocolate
- ½ cup (100 ml) cream
- Preheat the oven to 150°C / 300°F / gas mark 2.
- For the pie crust, use all the ingredients to quickly knead a dough with a shiny surface. You can do this by hand with all the ingredients on the worktop or you can also use a food processor. Form a ball and chill the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- For the chestnut-cream cheese filling combine all the ingredients with the exception of the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and there are no chestnut lumps in it any more, using a food processor or a handheld mixer. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until they are stiff and carefully fold them into the chestnut-cream cheese mixture.
- You can bake the cheesecake in a round or a rectangle tarte mold. Line the bottom and the sides with butter and dust them with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough on a floured surface to a size of about 1 ½ inches larger than the pie mold. Carefully fold the dough over the rolling pin and roll it up so it can be transferred to the pie mold. Carefully unroll the dough over the pie mold and lower it into it. Slightly press the dough to the bottom and the sides. Put the cream cheese filling into the pie mold and bake the pie in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- Heat the cream in a small pot. Break the chocolate into chunks and put them into the cream. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Sprinkle or spread the ganache on the chestnut-cheesecake.
