Welcome!

Ciao! My name is Yolanda and I'd like to welcome you to my Blog! I have always had a love for cooking, baking and eating. This blog is mainly a place for me to record and share precious family recipes from those living and deceased as well as delicious recipes that my friends have given me throughout the years.

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Honey Ricotta Cheesecake (With a Nutella topping)

        Have you ever been to the cheesecake factory? If you have then you know that it is like going to cheesecake heaven! They have over 20 kinds of gourmet cheese cakes such as  Kahlua Cocoa Coffee, Dutch Apple Carmel Streusel, chocolate coconut cream, and many many more! 
         Well one day I was watching the cooking channel and Giada was making this Honey Ricotta Cheese cake and boy did it look like something that came from the Cheese Cake Factory.  I of course had to go to the store the next day and buy all the ingredients along with a spring form pan to make this cheese cake. 
        Now while I like to copy recipes exact, I sometimes like to add or take away a few things to make it my own.  Anyone that knows me knows that I am obsessed with 2 things...Pesto and NUTELLA, so of course the first thing that came to my mind was, I bet if I spread nutella on top of this cake it would be delicious and of course as anything is with Nutella on it, it sure was! 
        I have been making this cheesecake for a few years now and have not had a complaint yet!
P.S. I have many Nutella incorporated recipes to share, so if you love Nutella just as much as I do keep checking my blog for them to appear!

Ingredients

*8 ounces Almond Biscotti (I use the Stella D'oro brand) 

*6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter melted 

*1 (12-ounce) container fresh whole milk ricotta, drained 

*2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature 

*3/4 cup sugar 

*1/4 cup orange blossom or clover honey 

*1 tablespoon orange zest 

*4 large eggs 

*Nutella 

Procedure:

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

*Wrap the outside of a 10-inch springform pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. 
 * Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened.
 * Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of the springform pan and bake for 15 minutes. 
* In a clean food processor or in a bowl with a hand mixer; mix the ricotta, cream cheese, and sugar until creamy
* Add eggs, honey, and orange zest and blend again until smooth
*Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan
* Now normally you would make a water bath and place the cheese cake 1/4 into the pan...but after reading my friend Ashley's trick from her blog Wishes and Dishes, I am going to suggest the tip she gave: Fill a 9x 12 inch pan with water and place on the bottom rack and then place the cheesecake on the rack above that one.   This will allow moisture to stay in the oven and prevent cracking.
* Cook cheesecake for 1 hour and 5 minutes
* When done, let cool completely (the cake will become firm once it is completely cooled off) 
* When cooled off, spoon some Nutella in a microwavable bowl and soften (this will make it easy to spread)
* Pour desired amount of Nutella over the cooled cheesecake and spread evenly
* Place in refrigerator and let chill for at least 8 hours and then enjoy this rich yet delicate cake!
Doesn't this look soooo good??
* Since cheesecake is rich.  I love to cut it up in mini bite size squares and place it in the middle of a decorative cupcake paper.














2 comments:

Janine said...

aw yolanda! this looks so good! You are such a good wife haha. Scott would LOVE if i could cook like this..keep up the good work :)

Unknown said...

When I arrived at work a little late, I noticed that someone had brought some goodies in, and mused to myself "whatever it was, it must have been very good." The dish was empty! But to my delight, one of the girls knowing my penchant for desserts, had saved one for me. OMG, absolutely delicious - the lightest cheesecake I have ever had, and the nutella topping on top added that extra touch. Perfect. I know had I been in the office earlier, I would not have stopped at one. Thanks Yolanda (and Jim) for the best cheesecake ever- and I loved the serving size.