cheesecake Archives - A Calculated Whisk

Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Pie (Gluten-free, No-bake)

November 19, 2018 By Becky 8 Comments

This pumpkin caramel cheesecake pie requires no cooking, and all the layers are made in the food processor with no need to wash it in between. It’s the perfect last-minute Thanksgiving dessert! This pie was originally published in fall of 2013. I’ve tweaked the recipe and updated the photos.

This pie is so easy, and so good! If you already have your caramel sauce made (try salted caramel, salted maple caramel, or even store-bought), there is no cooking required–just a few rounds of food processing. And, in case you need another reason to make this, there’s pumpkin involved! There’s also caramel, whipped cream, and a delicious two-ingredient crust. The cheesecake layer is rich, but not overpowering–I think even people who don’t love cheesecake will probably love this.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes with Figs and Raspberries

August 25, 2016 By Becky 8 Comments

These vanilla bean cheesecakes with figs and raspberries require no grains, dairy, eggs, or cooking! They’re the ideal cold sweet treat for the end of summer. Thank you to Rodelle for providing products for this recipe!

I’m back, and I brought mini cheesecakes! Vanilla bean mini cheesecakes made with cashews and topped with fresh figs and raspberries, that is. And you don’t even need to cook or bake anything! These little cheesecakes are so satisfying on a summer evening. The no-bake crust is just sweet enough, with a hint of chocolate and an almondy crunch, and the cheesecake layer is super-smooth and studded with vanilla bean seeds. On top are fresh raspberries and figs sitting like frosted jewels. The combination is so addictive that I know these will vanish from your freezer just as fast as they did from mine!

Here’s how these vanilla bean cheesecakes come together. First, you need to soak your cashews in hot water for an hour and soak the pitted dates in hot water for at least fifteen minutes. (Want to soak all your stuff the same amount of time? A little extra won’t hurt the dates!) Then, you’re going to pulse dates, almonds, and a little bit of cocoa in the food processor to make the crust. The chocolate isn’t a dominant flavor, but gives the crust a little extra something. I don’t like it when my desserts taste too much like dates, and the cocoa also helps mask that flavor a bit. You grease a muffin tin, line the cups with a little parchment paper handle like in the photo below, and pat a dollop of crust right into each cup.

Mocha Ricotta Pie with Strawberries

May 1, 2015 By Becky 14 Comments

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Mocha Ricotta Pie with Strawberries (Gluten free, Grain free) | acalculatedwhisk.com

This mocha ricotta pie is one of my absolute favorite desserts. It’s in my top three of all time, right up there with almond butter thumbprints and salted caramel brownies.

What makes it so fabulous is the trifecta of a lightly sweetened, crunchy shortbread crust, a rich and creamy ricotta filling with chocolate, coffee, and a hint of lemon (yes, lemon!), and a topping of juicy strawberries. It reminds me of the amazing Southern-style chocolate pie I always used to eat at the now-defunct Marimont Cafeteria in Austin, Texas, but with a mature Italian twist and bright berries to lighten things up.

Really good dark chocolate and high quality, full-fat ricotta are important for this pie. (Good coffee won’t hurt either, but I love my Café Bustelo.) I was so excited about having a tub of Narragansett Creamery ricotta in my fridge that I proceeded to completely forget I’d bought it to make zucchini lasagna, and dumped all of it into the filling for this pie.

Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze

April 24, 2015 By Becky 4 Comments

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Chocolate Doughnuts with Cherry Cheesecake Glaze (Gluten free, Grain free)

These chocolate doughnuts with cherry cheesecake glaze are gluten free, grain free, and baked instead of fried, but you won’t feel like you’re missing out! They’re the perfect treat for any occasion.

It’s Friday! Paleo chocolate doughnuts with cherry cheesecake glaze, anyone?

I, for one, am super pumped about the color of this all-natural magenta glaze. It’s all about eating the rainbow, and aside from red cabbage, those purple hues can be kind of hard to find!

You may be surprised that this vibrant shade is all thanks to a mere handful of SIX frozen cherries (and, full disclosure, a tiiiiny bit of post-processing in Lightroom).

When I came up with the idea of a cherry cheesecake glaze for doughnuts, I was excited for it be pink. I was really surprised, though, when I ended up with this lovely shade of fuschia! The color may depend on the kind of cherries you use–I always buy frozen dark sweet cherries at Whole Foods (even though they’re called sweet cherries, there’s no sugar added) because I love to put them in smoothies, but my new favorite use for them is this delicious glaze.

Lemon Cheesecake Truffles

July 9, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

Truffles are the perfect summer dessert, especially when there’s lemon involved. You can make these without even using your stove, and since they’re kept in the fridge, they’re refreshing on a hot day. These truffles have a rich and creamy cheesecake interior with lemony undertones, a snappy chocolate shell, and crunchy, zesty lemon sugar on top. They are so rich that I feel satisfied with just one or two for dessert.

You should make these because they are much easier, cuter, and smaller than cheesecake. You can impress your friends by presenting all the delicious flavors of cheesecake in a small, round, chocolate-dipped form. And in case you’re wondering, lemon and chocolate DO go together well. It’s like orange and chocolate, but punchier and more summery. Try it. Try it today!

Ingredients (makes about 15 truffles):

For the cheesecake filling:

1 lemon
8 ounces cream cheese
Pinch of salt
1 cup powdered sugar
A few drops of vanilla

For the topping:

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the chocolate coating:

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
A few drops of vanilla

Zest the lemon. Set aside half the zest and toss it to coat with the granulated sugar to make the topping. Spread the lemon sugar out on a plate in a thin layer so it can dry out a little. You definitely don’t want to skip this part, because the crunchy, zesty sugar is going to take these truffles from delicious to ridiculous.

Place the other half of the zest in a medium bowl with the cream cheese, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Juice the lemon to obtain three tablespoons of juice, and add them to the bowl, making sure to strain out any seeds. Use a fork to cream this mixture until well combined. Cover the mixture and place it in the freezer for half an hour or so to firm up.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Use a spoon and your fingers to form rounded teaspoon-sized balls of cheesecake mixture and place them on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Don’t worry if the balls aren’t perfect, because you will have a chance to smooth them out later. Freeze the balls for at least two hours so they’re totally firm.

When your truffles are almost frozen, it’s time to melt the chocolate. Place the chopped chocolate, oil, and vanilla in a microwaveable bowl. The oil is just there to help make the chocolate coating a little bit shiny. Microwave the bowl in thirty-second intervals, stirring in between, until almost melted. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool for a few minutes before you dip your truffles.

Line another baking sheet with parchment or wax paper so you’ll have a spot for your dipped truffles. Take the truffles out of the freezer. Working with one ball at a time, roll it quickly between your palms to round it out, then drop it in the chocolate, turning it a little to fully coat it. Use a fork to carefully fish the truffle out of the chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then carefully transfer the truffle to the parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of the truffle with a little lemon sugar right away. You don’t want to wait until you’ve dipped all the truffles because once the chocolate is hardened the lemon sugar won’t stick.

Once you’ve dipped all the truffles, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about half an hour so the chocolate can set. When the truffles are set, they are ready to eat. If you won’t be enjoying them right away, store the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.