Hazelnut Liqueur Cheesecake Recipes

FRANGELICO (HAZELNUT) CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Place oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• Toast the hazelnuts: Lay hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and toast at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and skins are beginning to crack. Wrap in a towl and let steam for 1 minute. Rub hazelnuts in the towel to remove some of the skins. Grind coarsely and let cool. Keep the oven at 350.
• Make the crust: Combine all crust ingredients except the butter in a food processor until well mixed. Cut the butter into cubes and incorporate into other ingredients for about 1 minute. Press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan (I use bottom of flat glass). Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
• Make the cheesecake: Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and place a pan half-filled with water in the bottom rack. Melt the chocolate and set aside. (Tip: if melting in the microwave, heat in intervals of 30 seconds and stir. Should take no more than 1 minute on high). On low speed, beat cream cheese until smooth. Slowly mix in the sugar, flour and frangelico. Keep scraping down the sides of the bowl. One at a time, beat in the eggs on low speed.
• Take 1/2 cup of the cheesecake batter and mix it with the chocolate.
• Pour cheesecake batter into pan. The chocolate mixture can either be placed in a bag for piping or dropped by spoonfuls into the batter and swirled for a marbled effect.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Decrease oven temperature and bake at 225 degrees for about 1 hour. Towards the end of the baking time, check for doneness. Move the cheesecake pan slightly -- if the edges are set and the center is still wobbly the cheesecake is done. Turn the oven off and prop the door open with an oven mitt. Let cool inside the oven for at least an hour. Let cool on a counter until the pan is cool. Place in the refrigerator uncovered to chill and set. The cheesecake must be chilled for at least 24 hours.

HAZELNUT LIQUEUR CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Stir well to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, and then butter the sides of the springform pan for the cheesecake mixture.
• For the filling: In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times. Add in the sugar and beat it some more; scraping down the sides once or twice. Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing in between each addition, until thoroughly combined. Mix in the sour cream on slow speed while pouring the hazelnut liqueur into the bowl in a slow stream.
• Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with aluminum foil. Scrape the filling onto the chocolate crust in the pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in 3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil and put in a larger pan. Add enough hot water to the outer pan to come up halfway. Bake for 1 hour. The cheesecake should be set around the edges but still a little jiggly in the middle.
• Allow to set up overnight. Run a thin knife around the edge and open the springform pan. Decorate the top of the cheesecake with chocolate drizzles and hazelnuts dipped in chocolate.

DECADENT TRIO CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• 1. Place a circle of parchment paper cut to fit an 10 inch round spring-form cake pan in the bottom of the pan. Brush the SIDES of the pan with the oil.
• 2. Place the ready to use cookies in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or your hand until in small bits.
• 3. Place 12 ounces (about 2/3) of the crushed cookies in a bowl and add in the melted butter and stir until well mixed. Press the cookie-butter mixture into the bottom of the parchment lined cake pan. Place the pan in refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
• 4. Place ALL the chocolate morsels in a metal or glass heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water to melt. Stir it every few minutes. This steps takes about 15 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and allow it to cool.
• 5. While chocolate cools, whip the heavy whipping cream in a separate mixing bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks forms. Keep cold and set aside.
• 6. In another bowl add the sugar and cream cheese and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Fold in the cooled chocolate and prepared whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and then stir in the liqueur.
• 7. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the spring-form cake pan that contains the cookie layer. Smooth the surface. Take the reserved 4 ounces of the crushed cookies and sprinkle them lightly over the entire top of the cheesecake. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
• 8. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator, then open and remove the sides of the spring-form cake pan and transfer the chilled cheesecake to a cake platter. Cut into slices. Plate each serving portion with a nice dollop of sour cream and strawberries (both optional). Cover and chill any leftovers!

HAZELNUT PRALINE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Mix flour, butter and brown sugar in processor until moist clumps form. Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake until crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Cool. Wrap outside of pan with double layer of heavy-duty foil.
• For filling:
• Reserve 1/2 cup praline for garnish. Grind remaining praline to powder in processor. Beat cream cheese and su gar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in flour, then cream and vanilla. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Fold in praline powder.
• Transfer filling to crust. Place springform pan in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until center is just set, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Transfer cake to rack. Run small sharp knife around sides of cake to loosen. Cool completely. Remove foil from pan sides. Chill cake overnight. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Release pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Mound reserved coarsely crushed praline atop center of cake and serve.

HAZELNUT AND CHIPPED CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Using a blender or a food processor, finely chop 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Place in a small mixing bowl. Add vanilla wafer crumbs, ground hazelnuts, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and melted butter or margarine. Mix until well combined. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake in a preheated 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) oven for 15 minutes. Cool.
• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup white sugar; mix well. Add the eggs and 3 tablespoons liqueur. Mix until well blended. Coarsely chop 1 cup of the semisweet chocolate chips, and add to the cream cheese mixture. Stir. Pour batter into the cooled crust.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 1 hour. Let cake cool for 1 hour. Remove outer ring from pan. Then let cool completely.
• Melt 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips over hot (not boiling) water. Stir until smooth. Dip 13 hazelnuts into the chocolate, covering one-half of each nut. Shake off the excess chocolate. Place on a waxed-paper lined plate. Chill until set.
• To the remaining melted chocolate, add sour cream. Mix well. Stir in 1 tablespoon liqueur. Spread glaze on top of the cooled cheesecake. Garnish with chocolate dipped hazelnuts.