Cheesecake makes a decadent Valentine’s Day treat
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cheesecake recipe can be useful on any special occasion, and especially so on Valentine’s Day. For many people, cheesecake is not cheesecake without the addition of ricotta cheese. While ricotta is included in savory dishes like lasagna or manicotti, it is at home in desserts like cheesecake as well. Ricotta means “recooked” in Italian, and its production involves reheating the whey left over from making other cheeses, like mozzarella. Its texture is like a creamy/grainy, thick sour cream. Ricotta is included in this recipe for “Ricotta Cheesecake With Coffee and Chocolate” Ricotta Cheesecake With Coffee and Chocolate from “Nick Stellino’s Family (Tortino al caffè e ciccolato) Kitchen” (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) Bake the cake for 1 hour and Preheat the oven to 325 F. by Nick Stellino, but it is not the crumbs 15 minutes or until just set in Make a graham cracker crust 2 tablespoons butter, melted only flavorful ingredient in this the middle. The cake will still 2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1⁄2 by mixing together the melted decadent dish. Coffee liqueur, seem wobbly, but will be lightly butter with the crumbs, and cup sugar chocolate and lemon zest add to browned and cracked around sugar. Press into the bottom of a 2 lbs. ricotta cheese, drained the complex profile — which the edges. Remove the cake 9-inch springform pan. of excess liquid only get more pronounced if Mix together the ricotta, sug- from the oven and cool on a 8 eggs, separated you prepare this cake a day in rack for 30 minutes. Refrigerar, egg yolks, cream, espresso, 1/2 cup cream advance. ate the cheesecake for at least coffee liqueur, lemon zest, and 1/4 cup espresso or extra 6 hours or overnight before salt until creamy. In a separate strong coffee, cooled Ricotta Cheesecake running a sharp knife along the bowl, beat the egg whites until 1/4 cup coffee liqueur With Coffee and Chocolate edge of the cake and removthey form stiff peaks. Care1 teaspoon finely grated (Tortino al ing the pan. Cut into wedges fully fold the egg whites into lemon zest caffè e ciccolato) to serve. Garnish with shaved the ricotta mixture. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon salt Serves 8 to 10 chocolate and strawberries, if chocolate morsels and pour 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate desired. onto the prepared crumb crust. morsels 1 cup graham cracker 33
