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MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE W/ ROASTED CASHEW




Source of Recipe


Bon Appétit


List of Ingredients




Crust
1/2 cup salted roasted cashews
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk

Filling
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese*
1/2 cup sour cream
4 large eggs

Passion Fruit Caramel Sauce
Sliced tropical fruits (such as papaya, mango, and pineapple


Recipe



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.

Makes 12 to 16 servings