American white chocolate caramel cheesecake with macadamia nuts

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 160 g white chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 tbsp butter, soft
• 350 ml whipped cream
• 65 g white sugar
• 20 crackers (Graham-), see my recipes, alternatively butter cookies
• 75 g sugar, brown
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 200 g white sugar
• 125 ml water
• 2 drops of vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
• 125 ml whipped cream
• 1 tbsp butter, softened
• 625 g cream cheese, very soft
• 500 g white sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract, real
• 125 g macadamia nuts, whole

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 8 hours 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 20 minutes; Total time approx. 12 hours 5 minutes

White Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake with Macadamia Nuts

Ganache: Place the white chocolate pieces and butter in a bowl. Bring the heavy cream and sugar to a boil in a saucepan and pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir briefly, then immediately cover with plastic wrap for 3-5 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. Remove the wrap, stir again, and refrigerate for no longer than 1 hour. Base: Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F). Wrap the outside (bottom and sides) of a 26 cm springform pan twice with aluminum foil to prevent leaks. Place the graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush them finely with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into the springform pan and mix them with the melted butter and sugar using your hands, pressing them firmly into the bottom and sides. Place the springform pan in the oven and bake the cookie mixture for 10 minutes. Let cool. Caramel sauce: In a saucepan, bring the sugar, water, and vinegar or lemon juice to a boil over medium heat. Mix the cornstarch with the whipped cream. When the caramel is golden brown, remove from the heat and quickly stir in the cornstarch mixture; the caramel will foam. Then add the butter, warm the caramel briefly again on the heat for 1 minute, and stir well. Let cool. Filling: Place the oven rack in the lower third and reduce the heat to 150 degrees C. Using a mixer at medium speed, beat the cream cheese for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Then sprinkle in the sugar and beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla at low speed. Set aside 250 ml of this mixture and 125 ml of the caramel sauce. Mix 2/3 of the remaining cream cheese mixture with the entire ganache. Pour into the springform pan. Now mix the remaining caramel sauce with the last third of the remaining cream cheese mixture and pour over the ganache, leaving a 1.5 cm border. Pour the reserved 250 ml of cream cheese mixture onto this caramel layer and spread it evenly. Place a roasting pan on the oven rack and place the springform pan inside. Fill the roasting pan with hot water; the water should come up to the rim. Bake the cake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. The cake will not be completely firm afterward, but nothing should stick when tested with a skewer. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. Topping: Toast the macadamia nuts on a baking sheet in the oven at 175 °C for 5-8 minutes, turning them over a few times. Chop them to the size of corn kernels on a board. Heat the reserved caramel sauce in a saucepan, stirring constantly, add the chopped nuts, and spread them on the cooled cheesecake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Let the cake come to room temperature for 45 minutes before serving. Dip a knife in hot water, dry it, and then cut the cake with it. This cake takes a lot of time, but it’s definitely worth the effort. It tastes best with graham crackers.