Coffee Cheesecake

Here is an Italian variant of coffee cheesecake, which can offer a delicious meeting between American dessert tradition and Italian passion for coffee:

Ingredients

For the base:

• 200 g of dry biscuits (digestive or similar)
• 100 g of melted butter

For the coffee cream:

• 500 g of creamy cheese (like Philadelphia)
• 100 g of icing sugar
• 200 ml of fresh cream
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 sachet of sheet gelatin (or 10 g of powdered gelatin)
• 2 tablespoons of strong cold espresso coffee

For the decoration:

• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Chocolate coffee beans (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by preparing the base: blend the biscuits until they are powdered and mix them with the melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a springform pan (recommended diameter 22-24 cm) lined with parchment paper to create a uniform layer. Put in the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.

2. For the cream, soften the gelatin in cold water for a few minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and dissolve it in a saucepan with the hot coffee. Let it cool.

3. Whip the cream and set it aside. In a bowl, work the creamy cheese with the icing sugar and vanilla until it is smooth and homogeneous. Incorporate the coffee with the dissolved gelatin and mix well.

4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture, trying not to deflate it.

5. Pour the obtained cream over the now firm biscuit base and level it well. Let the cheesecake rest in the refrigerator for at least 5-6 hours, or even better, overnight.

6. Before serving, dust the surface with the unsweetened cocoa and decorate as desired with chocolate coffee beans.

Tip: If you want an even more Italian note, you can add a splash of coffee liqueur such as sambuca or corrected coffee to the cream.

The coffee cheesecake is a refined and creamy dessert, perfect to conclude a meal or to accompany an afternoon break. Enjoy this sweet encounter between the sweetness of cheesecake and the intensity of Italian coffee!