Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

In my previous post, I told you that I would be making a Nutella cheesecake for our Valentine's day dessert.  I received several requests for the recipe since then, and because the cheesecake turned out so lovely, I thought I'd share the recipe with you today.  

I was compelled to make this recipe while flipping through the pages of Nigella Lawson's latest cookbook,  Nigellissima.  I borrowed the cookbook from our local library a few weeks ago, and have since ordered a copy for myself.  The recipe is very easy to make, requires few ingredients and doesn't need to be baked.  Preparing the raw hazelnuts (boiling, peeling and toasting) was actually the most time-consuming element.  If you can find ready-peeled and toasted hazelnuts, that will really save you some time.



Below is the recipe, exactly as found on page 175 of Nigellissima...

Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

Ingredients 

10 oz graham crackers (about 16 sheets or 2 1/2 cups crumbs)
5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1 13 oz jar Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread, at room temperature 
3/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature 
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted 

* one 9-inch springform cake pan


Directions

Break the crackers into the bowl of a food processor, then add the butter and 1 tablespoon of Nutella and blitz until the mixture starts to clump.  Add 3 tablespoons of the toasted hazelnuts, and continue to pulse until you have a damp, sandy mixture.

Tip this into your springform pan and press it into the base, using either your hands or the back of a spoon.  Place in the refrigerator to chill while you get on with the filling.

Beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth and soft, then patiently scrape the rest of the Nutella out of its jar and into the cream cheese mixture and continue beating until combined.  

Take the springform pan out of the refrigerator.  Carefully scrape and smooth the Nutella mixture over the cracker crumb base and scatter the remaining chopped hazelnuts on top to cover.  Place the pan in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.  I recommend refrigerating the cheesecake overnight before serving. 

Serve straight from the refrigerator for best results, unspringing the cake from the pan, still on its base, just before you eat.  To cut it, dip a sharp knife in cold water, wiping it and dipping again between each cut. I didn't find this step necessary.  And don't worry; it may look disappointingly flat when whole, but when sliced, its dark depths are revealed.  I certainly wasn't disappointed! 


The cheesecake turned out absolutely perfect.  The crust was delicious, the filling rich (but not too sweet), and the roasted hazelnut topping complemented it so well!  It even sliced like a dream!  The flavor reminds me of  Ferrero Rocher chocolates.  


I want to share a little tip with you in case you aren't able to find ready-peeled hazelnuts or maybe you would rather peel and roast the hazelnuts yourself.  After doing some online research, I found that boiling the hazelnuts in a water/baking soda solution is the best and easiest method to remove the stubborn peel from raw hazelnuts.  Here is the link to the website I used for step-by-step directions...  How to Peel Hazelnuts


My boiled, peeled, and roasted hazelnuts shaped into a heart



That is all for today, my friends.  I hope that your Valentine's day was special and that you are enjoying the last of winter's days.  It is presently snowing here.  I see snowflakes lightly falling outside my kitchen window.  The too-tall snowbanks keep getting higher and higher. It seems there is no end in sight to this long, cold winter.  I yearn for warmer weather, the return of the robins, tulips and daffodils, as I count down only 30 more days till spring!  xoxo



13 comments:

  1. Perfect! Thanks, sweetie, for being the pioneering cook ahead of us, making it so easy for us to follow! I love anything with hazelnuts and I love that you think it tastes like Ferrero Rocher because they are soooo good! Must try this soon! ♥

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    1. You're welcome, Karen! Thank you for your kind comments. You're so sweet! xoxo

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  2. Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! What a perfectly sinful delight!! Taste like Ferrero Rocher!?! That is my sweet husband's FAVORITE candy! His birthday is March 14th and this will make a PERFECT birthday treat! Just hope I can find the hazelnuts!! Rosinda you are an absolute doll!! Thank you for your pioneering ways in the kitchen because we benefit from your efforts so much!! By the way I LOVE your lace tablecloth! Is it handmade? Praying those 30 days till spring come quickly for you! Such a lovely blog....<3

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    1. Thank you so much, Belinda! You are too kind! If your husband loves Ferrero Rocher and cheesecake too, then this recipe will make the perfect birthday cake for him! Thank you so much for becoming a follower of my blog. Hooray, you're my 50th follower! xo

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  3. Rosinda your cheesecake looks divine! I must try this recipe--hazelnuts and chocolate are combinations made in heaven. I'll have to look for Nigella's book. Your presentation is lovely on your lace covered table and beautiful rose chintz dishes. Seeing photos of your snow reminds me of Laura Ingall Wilder's book The Long Winter. So happy that you are in the home strech of winter and spring is not too far away. xoxo ♥

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comments, Martha Ellen! You're always so kind. Crossing my fingers that spring arrives before we know it! xoxo

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  4. So glad you had a super yum Valentine's Day! Love the nuts in a heart, you should glue some like that and hang it up!! Trader Joe's has roasted hazelnuts and I eat them all the time. I don't skin them tho as I like the skins. Here's hoping spring comes soon and is balmy. It's been here all winter! ♥

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    1. Hello Nancy! Thank you for the tip about Trader Joe's carrying roasted hazelnuts! If only we had a Trader Joe's here in Canada! I have heard such good things about it! I enjoy eating raw hazelnuts, too, with skin and all. xoxo

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  5. Oh my Rosinda, I have to make this! This winter I have become completely addicted to Nutella! This cheesecake looks so delicious I'm sure I could finish the whole thing off myself! : ) I love Nigella too. I haven't seen this cookbook yet. Checking it out of the library first is a great idea! I adore your dishes too. What a pretty Valentine's day setting!!! ♥ (30 days and counting!!!)

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  6. Thanks so much, Danielle! If you like Nutella, you are going to love this cheesecake! And I think you will love this cookbook, too. The recipes are Italian-inspired, with gorgeous photos and recipes. I tried the orzo with pancetta and peas and it was fab, too. I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive. Enjoy the rest of the week! xoxo

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  7. Hi Rosinda, Thanks for sharing the recipe and your pictures of the cheesecake. It looks beautiful on your plate sitting on the pretty table cloth. I am thinking that the nutella would have a very smooth subtle taste with the cream cheese added to it. I just read in a gardening magazine that hazlenuts can also be called filburts...I never realized that before. I think we should stick to hazlenuts it just sounds better somehow. Loved how you highlighted your recipe tips in red. I have always done that when I have written out recipes. I think it helps people know what to do when they are making the particular recipe. Many thanks from,
    Audrey.

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  8. You're right, Audrey. Hazelnuts are also called filberts! Funny little name, isn't it? Thank you for your comments. It's always a pleasure to "see" you here! Happy Friday. Hope you have a wonderful weekend! xx

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  9. Hi Rosinda! Congratulations! I've nominated your for a Liebester Award! Pop on over to my blog for the details! Happy Friday! : )

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