Spiderweb Cheesecake

This is one of my favorite recipes, it’s delicious, super easy and you can have a lot of fun with it!

My favorite part is that it is “No Bake”, so not hot water bath to worry about.  (The first time I attempted a cheesecake, I did not read ahead in the instructions to the hot bath… and that was an enormous disaster! Stay tuned for a future post about that!)

The other benefit is that you just need a stovetop and refrigerator!

The recipe I use is Martha Stewart’s, I love her recipe because the instructions are always clear and easy to follow.

Ingredients:

For the crust

Vegetable oil cooking spray
18 ounces chocolate wafers (about 90), finely ground (4½ cups)*
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 ounces (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon coarse salt

*I always have trouble tracking these down, so I substitute Oreos.  If you do, then omit salt from the crust as Oreos are very salty!  If you use Oreos, split the cookies in half and remove the cream filling.  It should be about a pack and a half.

For the ganache

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent), finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream

For the Filling

32 ounces cream cheese, softened
1½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1½ cups heavy cream, cold

For the spiders

Pull apart licorice
Large chocolate malt ball
Slightly smaller chocolate malt ball

Equipment

9 or 10-inch springform mold
Cuisinart chopper
Saucepan
Standing mixer
 

Make the crust:

1. Coat the springform pan with cooking spray – this is key to make sure that your cheesecake will release. Mix wafers/chocolate cookies, sugar, butter, and salt* in a medium bowl. Pat mixture into pan, pressing firmly into bottom and all the way up sides. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to fill.

Make the ganache:

2. Place chocolate in a food processor. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, process until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons ganache for decorating, and spread the remainder evenly on bottom and all the way up sides of crust. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to fill.  If there is any ganache leftover I add it to my 2 tablespoon reserve of ganache.

Make the filling:

3. Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add sugar and salt. Raise speed to medium-high, and beat until very fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in lemon juice.

4. Whisk cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/4 of the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, then fold in remaining whipped cream.

Complete assembly:

5. Pour filling into crust, and spread evenly. Gently tap bottom of pan on counter to release air bubbles.

6. Transfer reserved ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Starting in the center of the cheesecake, pipe a dot.  Then spacing lines about 1/2 inch apart, create circles around each other about 1/2 inch apart. Pull the tip of a paring knife in a gently curved line from the center of the spiral to outer edge. Wipe knife clean, and repeat every inch or so to form a web.

7. Cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour or overnight. Unmold cheesecake, garnish with candy spiders if desired, and serve immediately.

How to make candy spiders:

8. Pull apart licorice and cut legs into roughly 3 inch pieces and make a tiny slice about half of the leg, to make the licorice into a joint.  Make 8, try to make them slightly different sizes like a spider.

9. Place larger malt ball where you would like the bulk of the spider to be, then place a slightly smaller one in front of it.  Then stick legs into the sides of the “spider” and fold the legs up using the little nick you made on the half of leg. And let the joint stick up, like an actual spider.

How to make sign:

For whimsy I created a little sign, using cardstock, a sharpie, a glue pen and glitter.  I cut two pieces of cardstock and stuck a toothpick between them.  I taped flat one of the signs to the toothpick, and to keep a clean line I rolled the tape and stuck the other one.

If they don’t perfectly match, cut the sides even.

This cake will be the conversation piece of any party.  Definitely best to serve it when cold.  If you have to transport it to a friend’s – make sure you throw it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.

Recipe Source:  http://www.marthastewart.com/356454/no-bake-spiderweb-cheesecake