Honeycomb Cheesecake

I made this last week, it again came from a zaar member and we all loved it. It was first time for me doing a no bake cheesecake as all my recipes require baking. It tasted awesome and was lighter than my baked cheesecake recipes, but I think I will say I still much prefer baked cheesecake it is much denser in texture which I love. But the whole family even my sister who came over and tried some thought it had a really good flavour. If you would like to read all the reviews on this recipe please click here.I am also thinking about starting back catering again, I have catered before for small dinner parties and for large parties of about 50 people, although never anything huge like a few hundred, but am always up for new challenges. I am based in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland and would like to cater from Lausanne to the Geneva area, if you are reading this site and are from around this area I would love to know what you think, so all comments welcome.

Ingredients

1x250g Packet honey snap biscuits
90g Butter
3 Teaspoons gelatin
1/4 Cup water
375g Cream cheese
1/2 Cup caster sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla essence
300 ml Thickened cream
2 Violet crumble chocolate candy bars (Chocolate covered honeycomb bars)

Method

Melt Butter, add biscuit crumbs, mix well.

2. Press mixture into a base of 22cm spring form tin.

3. Refrigerate while making filling.

4. Place water in a small bowl, sprinkle with gelatin, heat on medium in microwave for 30-40 seconds,DO NOT BOIL.

5. Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl, add sugar and vanilla essence, beat until smooth with electric mixer.

6. Beat cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form.

7. Stir gelatin mixture into cream cheese mixture, add cream and crushed honeycomb bars mix well,pour into crust.

8. Refrigerate until set.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise stated.

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Rich Caramel Cheesecake

Here is another competition entry, this one comes from Vanessa in Canada. I have to say this cheesecake was super rich, very fattening and naughty, but oh so delicious.I had a little trouble with this one, nothing major, my toffee did not work so you will see from the decoration I could not use it. Also the caramel worked very well, but I found that it really didn’t swirl through the cheesecake. As I said very minor things that did not affect the flavour.We all thoroughly enjoyed it, although we will be doing some exercise today to burn off those extra calories. I will be posting the winner within the first week of February just in case I get any last minute entries. I will be able to make those recipes over the first few days of February, good luck and thanks for entering.

Crust

4 Tablespoons melted butter

1 1/2 Cup digestive biscuit crumbs

Caramel

1 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup water

1/2 Cup whipping cream

Crunchy Toffee Pieces

1 Cup sugar

200g Butter

Cheesecake

4 Packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 Cup packed brown sugar

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/4 Teaspoon salt

4 Large eggs, at room temperature

Method

For the crust

1. Combine butter and crumbs, mixing well with a fork.

2. Press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.

For the caramel

1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir well. Cover with a lid and cook until sugar turns a medium amber color, about 3 1/2 minutes after
mixture comes to a boil.

2. Remove from heat and stir 30 seconds. Slowly stir in cream, being careful to avoid
spatters. Set aside.

For the crunchy toffee

1. Combine the sugar and butter in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Stir to combine and let it come to the boil for approx. 15-20.

2.Pull of heat and let it stand for another 5 Min’s to cool slightly. Pour into
a flat dish and put it I the freezer to harden.

3. When hard break into pieces with a mallet. Set aside for final decoration of the cooled cheesecake.

For the cheesecake

1. Beat cream cheese and both sugars at medium speed of an electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Add eggs one at a time, beating on lowest
speed of mixer just until incorporated.

2. Pour two-thirds of batter over crust. Beat caramel mixture into remaining batter. Pour caramel batter over plain batter in pan and swirl mixtures with a rubber spatula.

3. Bake at 175 C. (I did this at 180c.) for about 50 minutes, or until edges are firm but middle still wiggles. Remove from oven and cool. Chill. Decorate with crunchy toffee pieces just before serving.

All photo’s taken by me unless otherwise stated.

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