CREMA LUSSO CHEESECAKE
MAKES 6 MINI DESSERTS
Heavy Cream, divided
14 tablespoons cup
3 ounces
Semi-sweet Chocolate
Chocolate Liqueur (Crème de Cocoa)
1/4 cup
4 ounces
Cream Cheese, room temperature
Sugar, divided
1 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon
14-15 ounce jar
Roasted and Peeled Chestnuts, divided*
7 ounce package
Premade Waffle Cones
10 tablespoons
Salted Butter, divided
1 quart
Crema Lusso
6
Mini Springform Pans
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray the bottom of each springform pan with cooking spray. In a food processor, pulse the waffle cones and 1 tablespoon of sugar until they are a fine crumb. Add in 6 tablespoons of melted butter and pulse until blended. Divide and press the waffle crumbs into the bottom of the 6 springform pans. Arrange the pans onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 7 minutes then cool on a wire rack.
While the crust is baking, melt and blend together the chocolate, 6 tablespoons of cream and liqueur over medium heat. Once melted, remove the chocolate liqueur sauce from the heat and set aside.
In a medium- large saucepan, bring to a boil 1½ cups sugar and ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of water. Continue cooking the dissolved sugar mixture until it begins to turn a golden amber color. This can take 5-8 minutes. You can use a candy thermometer for this step which most likely will read near 340-350 degrees. Once the sugar mixture has reached a golden amber color, lower the heat and carefully add 4 tablespoons of butter. Continue stirring and then add in the remaining heavy cream (1/2 cup) and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir for several minutes until the caramel sauce is smooth and golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a food processor, blend together the cream cheese, ¼ cup of sugar, pinch of salt and ¾ cup tightly packed chestnuts. When the cream cheese mixture is smooth, scrape it out into a mixing bowl. Stir in ½ of the chocolate liqueur sauce to the cream cheese mixture. Leave the remaining ½ of chocolate liqueur sauce for a finishing drizzle. Prepare the remaining chestnuts by pulling out 6 whole chestnuts to place on the top of the desserts. The rest of the chestnuts can be chopped to sprinkle over the caramel sauce later.
Remove the gelato out of the freezer to soften as needed to work with. Divide and spread the chocolate cream cheese chestnut filling over the waffle crust. Layer each springform with a portion of gelato that will fill the springform to near the top. Pour on some of the caramel sauce and sprinkle.
Developed by published Chef, food blogger and award-winning food champion, Kim Banick (http://theprizeofcooking.com)