Warm Chocolate Marscarpone Cheesecake

I chose this over the Mississippi Mud Pie to be my last creation of 2009. Both are from Chocolate, and I hope to get to the Mud Pie soon.
Mascarpone is an unfermented Italian cream cheese with a powerful smell and a slightly sweet taste. I had to look up the pronunciation, as I was saying it ‘Mass-car-pown’ or something like that. It’s actually ‘Mass-car-poh-nay’, and the more Italian intonation, the better.

Warm Chocolate Mascarpone Cheese Cake

Ingredients

Biscuit Base

• 225g of Digestive Biscuits
• 60g of Unsalted Butter
• 60g or Milk Chocolate (finely chopped or grated)

Chocolate Filling

• 2 large Eggs (separated)
• 85g of Castor Sugar
• 230g of Mascarpone Cheese
• 150ml of Double Cream (lightly whipped)
• 50g Milk Chocolate (finely chopped of grated)
• 4 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder (sifted)
• 45g of ground Almonds
• Icing sugar for dusting

The biscuit case is incredibly crumbly, even after baking.

Method

To make the base, put the biscuits into a food processor and pulse (or put them into a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin) until fine crumbs form. Put the butter and chocolate into a bowl set over a pot of steaming but not boiling water and gently melt. Remove from the heat and stir into the biscuit crumbs in a mixing bowl. When well mixed, transfer the mixture into a well greased 23cm springform cake tin. Use the back of a spoon to press it onto the base and halfway up the sides of the tin. Chill while making the filling.

To make the filling, put the egg yolks and sugar into a large mixing bowl and using an electric whisk or mixer, whisk until very thick and mousse like. Put the mascarpone into a separate bowl, beat until smooth and then gently fold into the whipped cream.

Gently stir the mascarpone mixture into the egg yolks, then add the chopped chocolate, cocoa and ground almonds and mix gently.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form, and then use a large metal spoon to fold the egg whites into the mixture in three batches.

Pour the filling into the biscuit case and bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for about 1 hour or until set and beginning to colour. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minute, then carefully unclip and remove the tin. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature with thick cream.

See more pictures on facebook.