My friend Maren loves Nutella so I developed this cheesecake recipe for her. She managed two slices which, given how rich this cheesecake is, is nothing short of a miracle! It is bursting with Ferrero Rocher chocolates and a chocolate chip hazelnut base. If you love Nutella then I can’t urge you enough to try this cheesecake!
FOR THE CRUMB BASE
230 g/8 oz. hazelnut choc chip cookies
50 g/⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon toasted hazelnut pieces
100 g/7 tablespoons butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
6 sheets leaf gelatine
300 g/1⅓ cups cream cheese
250 g/generous 1 cup ricotta
200 g/generous ¾ cup chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella), at room temperature
250 ml/1 cup double/heavy cream
100 g/3½ oz. dark chocolate, chopped
10 Ferrero Rocher chocolates, quartered
FOR THE TOPPING
50 g/2 oz. dark chocolate, melted
3 generous tablespoons chopped roasted hazelnuts
150 ml/⅔ cup double/heavy cream, whipped
6 Ferrero Rocher chocolates
a 23-cm/9-inch round springform cake pan, greased and lined
a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle/tip
SERVES 12
For the crumb base, crush the cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor or place in a clean plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the hazelnuts and melted butter. Press the buttery crumbs into the base of the prepared cake pan firmly using the back of a spoon.
For the filling, soak the gelatine leaves in water until they are soft.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, ricotta and chocolate hazelnut spread until light and creamy.
Put the cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and heat gently. Squeeze the water from the gelatine leaves and stir them into the warm cream until the gelatine has dissolved. Add the chocolate and stir until melted.
Carefully add the chocolate cream to the cream cheese mixture, passing it through a sieve/strainer to remove any undissolved gelatine pieces. Beat until the mixture is smooth and slightly thick, then stir in the chopped Ferrero Rocher pieces. Pour the mixture over the crumb base and chill in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours or overnight until set.
To serve, drizzle half of the melted chocolate in fine lines over the top of the cheesecake using a fork. Sprinkle the centre of the cheesecake with the hazelnuts and drizzle the remaining chocolate in fine lines over the nuts. Spoon the cream into the piping bag and pipe 12 large stars of cream around the edge of the cheesecake. Cut each Ferrero Rocher in half using a sharp knife and place one on top of each cream star. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.