White Chocolate Christmas Cheesecake
Wow your holiday crowd with a White Chocolate Christmas Cheesecake. Crafted with a thick graham cracker crust and luscious white chocolate in both the filling and whipped cream, this elegant cheesecake is a show stopper.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
White Chocolate Cheesecake
- 24 ounces full fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour unbleached
- 3/4 cup sour cream room temperature
- 4 ounces good quality white chocolate bar melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 4 ounces good quality white chocolate bar finely chopped
White Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream divided
- 6 ounces good quality white chocolate bar chopped
Sugared Rosemary Trees
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 package fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for coating
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Add graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter to a mixing bowl. Stir with a spoon until until combined.
- Add graham cracker mixture to an 9-inch springform pan then, using the flat bottom of a measuring cup, pack crust evenly on the bottom and an inch up the sides.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven then place on a wire rack to cool while you prepare filling.
White Chocolate Cheesecake
- Beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and lump free. (Approximately 3 minutes.) Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Add flour, sour cream, melted white chocolate and vanilla. Beat until combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low for a few seconds after each addition until just combined. (Overbeaten eggs will cause cheesecake to crack while baking so only beat the bare minimum.)
- Use a spoon to stir chopped white chocolate into the batter.
- Pour cheesecake filling into graham cracker crust.
- Bake for 75 minutes or until the cheesecake is set around the edges and no longer jiggles in the center. Keeping cheesecake in the oven and the door ajar with a wooden spoon, turn oven off and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
- Keeping cheesecake in the oven and the door ajar with a wooden spoon, turn heat off and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove cheesecake from the oven. Place springform pan on a wire rack to cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate overnight.
White Chocolate Ganache Whipped Cream
- Place chopped chocolate in a large heat safe bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring heavy whipping cream to a simmer over medium heat. Note: do not allow cream to come to a boil.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate and allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes then stir until melted chocolate is smooth and evenly combined with cream.
- Allow ganache to cool to room temperature then refrigerate overnight.
- After ganache has chilled, use the whisk attachment on an electric mixer to whip until fluffy and soft peaks form.
- Using a spoon, drop dollops of whipped cream onto the top of cheesecake then smooth with a rubber spatula.
Sugared Rosemary Trees
- Place 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Note: do not allow water to boil.
- Remove saucepan from heat. Add a few rosemary sprigs to the sugary water and stir until coated on all sides.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove rosemary sprigs from water and place on a baking rack to dry for 45 minutes.
- Place 1/2 cup of sugar in a large bowl. Roll rosemary springs in sugar until coated on all sides. Place springs on baking rack until completely dry, approximately 45 minutes. Garnish with
- Garnish cheesecake with sugared rosemary Christmas trees.
- Cheesecake will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days.