chocolate chip cheesecaake
Yield
10-12 servings

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Three desserts in one — and all kosher for Passover.

It’s about this time during the week of Passover – right in the middle of Hol Hamoed, the intermediate days – that all I want to do is shove an enormous pastry or bagel in my mouth. I know Passover isn’t all about the food, but as a baker, I am seriously missing my sweets and carbs.

Last year I was flipping through cookbooks around this time for inspiration and came up with an idea that combined several of my favorite desserts: cheesecake, ganache and macaroons.

This chocolate chip cheesecake is really like making any other cheesecake – but instead of a graham cracker crust, you combine ground almonds, shredded coconut, butter and melted chocolate as the base. I mean, what could be bad? Add in some mini chocolate chips and top it all off with deep dark glossy ganache and you have a beautiful gluten-free dessert you can enjoy

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Ingredients

For the crust:
  • 1 cup whole almonds
  • 1/3 cup shredded coconut
  • 5 Tbsp butter
  • 3 oz dark chocolate chips
  • pinch of salt
For the filling:
  • 4 8 oz packages full-fat cream cheese (not whipped)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
For the ganache:
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate
  • 1/2 tsp butter
  • pinch of salt

Directions

To make the crust:
  1. Pulse almonds in a food processor until they resemble coarse meal. Add coconut and pulse 1-2 more times.
  2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate together at 20 second intervals until smooth. Whisk together and then add to almond-coconut mix. Add pinch of salt and combine.
  3. Press into the bottom of a round springform pan and put into fridge while the oven is heating.
  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake crust for 10 minutes and allow to cool.
  5. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
To make the filling:
  1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla using a hand mixer until creamy. Add eggs one at a time and continue mixing. Fold in chocolate chips.
  2. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 55 minutes or until the center is almost set but still a bit wobbly. Place into fridge to chill.
To make the ganache:
  1. After the cheesecake has chilled at least one hour, heat heavy cream in a saucepan until just boiling and place chocolate into a heat-safe bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Add butter and pinch of salt and stir with a whisk until shiny, smooth and all the pieces have broken up.
  2. Pour over cheesecake and place back into fridge to continue chilling for at least 3 more hours or overnight.

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