GF Cannoli Cheesecake

Yup- I said it. GF Cannoli Cheesecake. This was a dessert I made for Thanksgiving this year. It seemed as if everyone who ate it, enjoyed it. And honestly, it had a beautiful appearance. This was actually the first cheesecake I made without cream cheese. Sounds very strange I know. But, none the less it was very tasty. Instead of cream cheese, this recipe calls for mascarpone and ricotta- which only makes sense for that true cannoli flavor.

** Warning: this is a water bath recipe. Don't give up now.

For the Crust:

• 1 Box GF Graham Crackers. I used Pamela's because they're my favorite and I got the cinnamon flavored ones. You will either throw these into a food processor or if you're like me and don't have one I used my magic bullet and the dreadful spoon method.
• 1/2 C. Melted Butter
• 2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar

Steps:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees  
2. Best method for creating crumbs out of the crackers if you don't have a food processor is probably throwing them into a ziplock bag and rolling them over with a rolling pin. Which ever method, first step is make the crumbs!
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together your crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar.
4. Once mixed together, grease your springform pan and press into the bottom! 
5. Prep your springform pan- place tin foil around the edges in preparation for a water bath.
6. Pre-bake your crust for roughly 10 minutes or until noticeably toasted. While this bakes lets move onto your filling.

For the Filling: 

• 20 oz of your favorite Ricotta Cheese
• 12 oz Mascarpone Cheese
• 1 C. Granulated Sugar
• 3 tbsp. GF all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. Vanilla
• 4 Eggs (Room Temperature)

Steps:

1. Reduce your oven temperature from 350 to 300.
2. Mix your ricotta, mascarpone, sugar and flour together on LOW. I typically use a paddle mixer for this- I tend to believe it helps reduce cracking during baking. But, I also have done it without the paddle and used the standard whisk and it was just fine.
3. Next, add your cinnamon and vanilla extract.
4. Add eggs 1 by 1 and until just combined. Remind the less air in our batter the more likely we don't have cracks!
5. Pour batter over our pre-baked crust. Place your springform pan inside a larger pan. Fill your larger pan with WARM water to about half way up the side, making sure it's not above your tin foil.
6. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. The center may still jiggle- that's okay. 
7. Leave cheesecake in oven for roughly 30 minutes, and then remove and cool completely at room temperature before putting in the fridge.

For the Topping!

* This step is the BEST kept secret for those of us who had a crack or two. 

• 1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
• 5 tbsp. Powdered  Sugar
• 3 tbsp. Ricotta Cheese ( You will have this as left over from filling )
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
• Chocolate Chips! I tend to use a lot but this is all about preferences here!

1. After your cheesecake has cooled and is ready to be served, whip this topping together and evenly spread on top of your cheesecake for a finishing touch!

Also, I did experiment and try to make this cheesecake without the water bath. It worked, but it did increase my baking time and some of my honest family members said they thought maybe it was over cooked. IF you are someone who is against water baths, because well they are a pain. I suggest, baking for the recommended 1 hour and 45 minutes and using your judgement on how much additional time. Be careful, I would add additional time by increments of 5-10 minutes. This is a tricky one because the cheese's don't firm as your standard cream cheese. Just use your judgement to see how jiggle it is.