Italian apple cheesecake

I can guide you through the preparation of an Italian-style apple cheesecake. You’ll need a selection of ingredients for both the base and the cream. The Italian variant of this cheesecake differs in some respects from the American version, such as the use of ricotta or mascarpone instead of classic cream cheese. Here is a basic recipe you could follow:

Ingredients

For the base:

• 200 g of dry biscuits (like Digestive or Graham crackers)
• 100 g of melted butter

For the filling:

• 500 g of ricotta
• 250 g of mascarpone
• 150 g of granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 packet of vanillin or vanilla extract
• Grated zest of 1 lemon

For the apple compote:

• 3 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• Butter as needed for cooking the apples

Preparation

1. Start with the base: blend the biscuits in a food processor until you get a sandy consistency. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter to get a homogenous mixture. Spread this mixture on the bottom of a springform pan (preferably about 22-24 cm in diameter), pressing down firmly to create a compact base. Put it in the refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: in a bowl, combine the ricotta and mascarpone, stirring until smooth. Add the sugar, vanillin or vanilla extract, grated lemon zest, and mix well. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

3. For the apple compote: in a pan, cook the apples with a little butter, the brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon, until the apples are soft but not disintegrated.

4. Take the cold base from the refrigerator and pour the cheese mixture over the biscuit base. Level well with a spatula.

5. Spread the cooked apple compote on top of the cheese filling.

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 °C for about 1 hour or until the filling appears almost completely set but slightly wobbly in the center.

7. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool completely before gently removing the ring of the springform pan. It is preferable to let it rest in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Curiosity

Cheesecake is a dessert with ancient origins, and the first versions were already popular in ancient Greece. With the apple cheesecake, the classic dessert is enriched with the sweetness and autumnal flavor of the cooked apples, which match perfectly with the freshness of Italian cheeses.