Recipe - Praline Cheesecake With Hazelnut Crust

PRALINE
One half cup Coarsely chopped hazelnuts
One half cup Light corn syrup
One half cup Firmly packed brown sugar

CRUST
6 Whole graham crackers;
broken into pieces
One half cup Hazelnuts; (about 2 ounces)
2 tablespoon Dark brown sugar
One fourth cup Unsalted butter; melted (1/2
stick)
2 tablespoon Frangelico; (hazelnut
liqueur)

FILLING
2 pack Cream cheese; room
temperature
; (8ounce)
One half cup Plus 1/3 cup sugar
4 Eggs separated
1 cup Sour cream
One half cup All purpose flour
3 tablespoon Frangelico
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Three fourths cup Chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoon Sugar
Roasted hazelnuts
Cocoa powder

For Praline: Lightly butter cookie sheet. Stir chopped hazelnuts, corn
syrup and brown sugar in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar
dissolves. Increase heat and boil mixture until candy thermometer registers
300F., tilting pan if necessary to submerge end of thermometer, about 10
minutes. Pour praline mixture onto prepared cookie sheet. Let cool. Break
praline into 1inch pieces. Grind finely in food processor. (Praline can be
prepared up to 1 week ahead. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and
refrigerate.)

For Crust: Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter 9inchdiameter springform
pan with 2 3/4inchhigh sides. Finely grind graham crackers, hazelnuts and
brown sugar in processor. Add butter and Frangelico and process until
crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared
pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese with One half cup sugar
until light and fluffy. Add yolks 1 at a time, beating after each addition
until just blended. Add sour cream, flour, Frangelico and vanilla and beat
just until mixture is smooth. Stir in ground praline. Using clean dry
beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar
and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into cream cheese mixture
in two additions. Pour filling into prepared crust.

Bake cake until center is just set, about 50 minutes. Turn off oven and
leave cake in oven 40 minutes longer.

Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool to room temperature. Cut around pan
sides with small sharp knife to loosen cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate
overnight. Release pan sides. Beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar
to firm peaks. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe
rosettes of cream decoratively around edge of cake. Arrange 1 hazelnut atop
each rosette. Dust top of cheesecake with cocoa powder. (Can be prepared 4
hours ahead; refrigerate.)

Serves 10.

Bon Appetit November 1992

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