I saw this recipe on Giada’s, Giada at Home show. They looked delicious, so I had to try them. They were basically very easy to make, the only trouble I had, was with the chocolate chips. I had trouble melting them three times! They kept seizing on me. Finally it came to me that I use the pouches of pre-melted chocolate when a recipe calls for melted chocolate, so why wasn’t I using them? I am a person who like to find the quickest way to do any chore. Time is valuable for me, so I found out a long time ago that those Nestle pre-melted pouches were the way to go. No messy bowls, pans, etc. I just stick the pouch into some really hot water in a glass for a minute, and viola… melted chocolate!
OK, now that I’ve done a free commercial for Nestle, on with the recipe! The chocolate crust is delicious. Sturdy, but yet moist and delicious. The filling very creamy, and delicious as well. Next time, I think I would put a little lemon juice and rind in, in place of the vanilla. Maybe it’s just me, but I love a citrusy cheesecake. I swirled a little slightly melted raspberry jam in to the filling mixture along with the chocolate, which was super delicious. However, if I added the lemon to the filling, I would probably just swirl in the raspberry. Basically anyway you slice it, this recipe is delicious. A great alternative to brownies for your next event.
Chocolate Raspberry Mascarpone Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- 8 plain or almond biscotti, broken into 1-inch pieces (5 to 6 ounces)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces, chilled
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 packed cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam or preserves, such as Bonne Maman
- For the filling:
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or 1 – 1 oz pouch pre-melted chocolate
- 1 cup mascarpone, at room temperature (8 ounces)
- 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature (8 ounces)
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1–1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Special equipment: One 7-by-10 3/4-inch nonstick metal baking pan
Instructions
- For the crust: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
- Spray the pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Lay a 6-by-18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with vegetable oil cooking spray.
- Blend the biscotti, butter, cocoa powder and brown sugar in a food processor until the mixture forms moist crumbs. Firmly press the crumbs onto the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely, about 25 minutes.
- Spread the jam in an even layer over the crust using a spatula.
- For the filling: Place the chocolate in a small bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Or, if using the pre-melted chocolate in the pouch, just stick the pouch in some hot water for a minute to soften.
- Beat the cheese, sour cream, eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla until smooth, using a whisk, in a medium bowl. Pour the batter over the cooled crust. Randomly spoon the melted chocolate over the batter. Swirl the chocolate into the batter, using the tip of a knife. Bake until light golden and the center of the filling jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 40 minutes. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and cool for 1 hour. Cover the pan with plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight until firm.
- Run a thin spatula around the sedges of the pan to loosen the filling. Cut the bars into 1 1/2-by-2-inch bars using a damp knife. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Time above does not include 7 hour set time in refrigerator. You can always substitute regular cream cheese for the mascarpone.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
2 Comments
Rebecca
October 20, 2012 at 7:45 amThese look great, can’t wait to try them!
Sandie
October 20, 2012 at 11:21 pmThey really were yummy!