I must spend half of my life reading food blogs, or drooling over delicious baked goods on Pinterest. I even asked my good friend Emma to bring me back some US measuring cups from a visit to the States so that I could get baking my favourite recipes.
On a recent food porn web surf, I stumbled across Raspberri Cupcake's blog and her delicious Salted Pretzel and M+M Chocolate Cheesecake. I pretty much want to bake every single recipe on this website as it really and truly is a sugar addict's dream. But first, just look at this for a beauty of a cheesecake.
Oh my.
Combining my love for salty and sweet (if you didn't know that about me already, where have you been?) with chocolate and cream cheese, this was a win-win pudding for me. Add in the fact that it looks pretty spectacular and takes minimal effort and you have a showstopper of a dinner party dessert.
Each layer of this cheesecake adds something pretty darn special, from the bittersweet chocolate and crunch of the M&Ms, to the rich cream cheese filling and the salty pretzel crumb. If you are looking for a stand-out dish to serve up at summer BBQs, then I urge you to give this a go.
Go on, you know you want to...
Sam x
SALTED PRETZEL AND M+M CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
INGREDIENTS
For the crumb base:
200g salted pretzels, crushed
2 tbsp caster sugar
175g salted butter, melted
For the cheesecake mousse:
400g cream cheese, softened
120g caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
For the chocolate topping:
175g semisweet dark chocolate, finely chopped
70g salted butter, cubed
3 large egg yolks
60g icing sugar
1/2 cup double cream, whipped to soft peaks
One pack M&Ms
METHOD:
1) Preheat the oven to 180C, then grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin. Place pretzels in a food processor and blitz to a crumb, then add in the sugar and melted butter down the funnel and pulse to combine. Press the crumb tightly into the bottom of the cake tin, then bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
4) Whisk the melted chocolate and butter into the egg yolks and icing sugar, then set the bowl in ice and stir until cooled. Next, fold in the whipped cream, spread it over the cheesecake and smooth over. Resist dipping your head in and eating...
5) Now for the fun part! Get your M+Ms and arrange them on top to decorate. Doesn't it look pretty?
6) Once you've finished decorating, place your cheesecake in the fridge and leave to set. Then remove the pan and enjoy!
2) Once the base is baked, reduce the oven temperature to 160°C. Take a large mixing bowl and beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla and beat to combine, then add the egg yolks, mixing on a low speed until just combined. In a separate bowl (it must be very clean and dry, this is important to make egg whites beat properly!), beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the cream cheese mixture. Pour everything over the crumb base and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the centre is almost set. Set aside to cool slightly, then place in the fridge to chill completely.
3) Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. Set aside to cool. Next, pour the egg yolks and icing sugar into a glass bowl. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and whisk continuously for about 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and smooth.
4) Whisk the melted chocolate and butter into the egg yolks and icing sugar, then set the bowl in ice and stir until cooled. Next, fold in the whipped cream, spread it over the cheesecake and smooth over. Resist dipping your head in and eating...
5) Now for the fun part! Get your M+Ms and arrange them on top to decorate. Doesn't it look pretty?
6) Once you've finished decorating, place your cheesecake in the fridge and leave to set. Then remove the pan and enjoy!
