Mascarpone Cheesecake With Roasted Cashew Crust And Passion Fruit Caramel Sauce Recipes

MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Stir together cookie crumbs and butter in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup crumb mixture for sprinkling over cheesecake, then pat remainder onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of springform pan (about 1 inch thick). Put pan in a shallow baking pan and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, about 25 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Make filling while crust bakes:
• Beat cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and salt and mix at low speed until combined. Pour into cooled crust and bake until cake is set and puffed around edge but still trembles slightly when pan is shaken gently, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly in springform pan on rack, about 20 minutes. (Cheesecake will continue to set as it cools.) Leave oven on.
• Make topping:
• Stir together sour cream, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and spoon over cheesecake, spreading gently and evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge.
• Bake cheesecake until topping is set, about 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge to help prevent cracking. Sprinkle top with reserved crumbs and cool completely in pan on rack, then chill, loosely covered, at least 8 hours.

PASSION FRUIT CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns medium amber color, swirling pan occasionally, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in butter, then passion fruit concentrate (mixture will bubble up). Simmer over medium-low heat until color deepens to rich brown and caramel thickens enough to coat spoon thickly, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Transfer sauce to bowl. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm slightly before serving.)

MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE WITH ROASTED CASHEW CRUST AND PASSION FRUIT CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind cashews and brown sugar in processor. Add flour, salt, and spices; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolk; using on/off turns, blend until moist clumps form. Press dough over bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan. Pierce crust all over with fork. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool crust. Maintain oven temperature.
• For filling:
• Combine first 3 ingredients in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Using electric mixer, beat cheese mixture until smooth and fluffy. Add mascarpone cheese and sour cream; beat at low speed just until blended, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs 2 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Transfer filling to prepared crust.
• Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with enough hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Place roasting pan with cheesecake in oven; cover roasting pan with foil. Bake cheesecake 30 minutes. Lift edge of foil to allow steam to escape; cover again. Bake cake 30 minutes. Lift foil again; cover again. Bake until cake is loosely set but filling jiggles all over when pan is shaken gently, lifting foil every 10 minutes, about 30 minutes longer. Remove cheesecake from water. Place on rack; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep refrigerated.)
• Cut around pan sides to release cheesecake. Cut into wedges. Drizzle each wedge with warm caramel sauce. Spoon some fruit alongside and serve.
• *Italian cream cheese, available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.