Italian Cheesecake

April 27, 2009  •  Desserts,

If you haven’t ever tried Italian cream cheese, you must. Mascarpone (not “marscapone” as many people pronounce it) is very similar to our cream cheese, but with a little less tang to it and a little more creamy texture – which is perfect for this simple cheesecake.
First make the crust – graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, sugar and butter (which is melted and then stirred together.

Dump the crust mixture into a tart pan with a removable bottom…

…and using a measuring cup, press the crumbs together to form the crust.

Set that aside and whip up the cheesecake batter – mascarpone, sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla – and pour that into the prepared crust.

Bake until golden brown and set, then let cool completely before cutting and serving. I like to dust it with powdered sugar and serve with some fresh raspberries on top.

Italian Cheesecake Tart
Serves 8-10

2 cups graham cracker crumbs, Chocolate variety
1/4 pound melted butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 pound Mascarpone cheese (or traditional cream cheese)
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups raspberries, fresh
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl combine cookie crumbs, cinnamon, sugar and butter. Mix well then press into an 11 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, honey and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs on at a time and when fully mixed add the flour and beat until creamy. Place tart pan on a cookie sheet, then pour filling into tart shell. Bake tart until the filling is barely set and lightly golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing. To serve, spoon about ¼ raspberries over each slice, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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