Gourmet Italian

photo credit: haldean

When I ran across a recipe for Chocolate Italian Honey Cheesecake years ago, I knew that I had to try this one!  After all, it has one of those marvelous Toblerone chocolate bars in the recipe.  You know the ones – they come in triangular wrapping and the packaging has a picture of the Matterhorn and a bear in the logo.

Well, maybe this should actually be called a Swiss Honey Cheesecake because Toblerone chocolate is only made in Bern, Switzerland where it was made by Mr. Jean Tobler and his son in 1908.  The marvelous Toblerone not only contains the highest quality cocoa beans, but it also contains almonds and honey.  Plus, the powdered milk used in the recipe must come from Switzerland so the quality remains at the highest level.

However, the recipe says Chocolate Italian Honey Cheesecake, so we’ll continue to call it that.  Ricotta cheese is one of the ingredients, too, so that’s where the Italian comes into play.

In your 9 inch spring-form pan, combine 1 3/4 cups vanilla wafer or animal cookie crumbs with 1/3 cup melted butter and press into the bottom and sides of the pan.

Beat together 24 ounces of ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 large eggs until smooth.  Heat 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream to a low boil.  Remove from heat and stir in your 8 ounce Toblerone chocolate bar that you have broken into pieces.  Cool slightly and blend with the ricotta mixture.  Spoon this into your pan and bake your Chocolate Italian Honey Cheesecake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of honey over low heat and stir in a cup of granola cereal.  Spread this over your partially baked cheesecake and return it to the oven for an additional 15 minutes.

Place on a rack to cool before you remove the sides of the pan.  Wrap and chill until it is time to display your masterpiece – Chocolate Italian Honey Cheesecake!  Mangia Bene!