The autumn chestnut cheesecake is a true delight of indulgence and sophistication that requires no baking. This delicious dessert features a crumbly cookie base, topped with a rich and fragrant cream made from fresh chestnuts, cocoa, and spices. It’s a very easy recipe that doesn’t require special tools or ingredients and, as in this case, is made entirely with lactose-free ingredients.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 16
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- 2 3/4 cups Cookies (also gluten-free)
- 3/4 cup Butter (also lactose-free)
- to taste Orange zest
- 2 1/2 cups Boiled chestnuts
- 1/4 tsp Coarse salt
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsps Vanilla powdered sugar
- 3 tbsps Milk
- to taste Strega liqueur
- to taste Rum
- 7 oz Cream cheese (also lactose-free or plant-based)
- 3/4 cup Heavy whipping cream (or plant-based)
- 1 3/4 oz Dark chocolate
- 2 tbsps Milk (also lactose-free)
Tools
- Pan 30 cm springform
- Parchment paper
Preparation
First, let’s prepare the chestnuts. Peel them, place them in a pot full of water with a pinch of coarse salt and let them cook for about 20/30 minutes (depending on the size of the chestnuts). When they are cooked (they should not fall apart, otherwise it will be more difficult to remove the skin), turn off the heat, let them cool a bit, and proceed to remove the remaining brown skin. Transfer the completely cleaned chestnuts to a mixer bowl with cocoa, powdered sugar, milk, liqueur, and cream cheese. Blend until you get a thick yet soft cream. Cover, store in the fridge, and let it season. To speed up the preparation of our autumn chestnut cheesecake, you can also use pre-cooked chestnuts, available in supermarkets.
Prepare the pan. Wet it well, let the excess water drain, and cover the bottom with parchment paper, making it adhere perfectly. Then, cut another strip of parchment paper with which to line the sides, also making it adhere perfectly.
Prepare the cookie base. In a blender, place the roughly crumbled cookies, a grating of orange zest, and blend until powdered. Meanwhile, melt the butter at a very low flame.
Pour the cookies into a large bowl, pour the hot melted butter and mix to let it be completely absorbed by the cookies. Transfer the cookie mixture into the mold and press it as evenly as possible with your hands or with a meat pounder. Place the mold in a cake holder or, in any case, cover it very well and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up.
Prepare the chestnut cream. After two hours, when the cookie base is solidified, whip the cream (add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar if using unsweetened fresh cream). As soon as the cream starts to thicken, add the chestnut mixture and continue to whip until you get a very fluffy and firm mixture.
Pour the delicious mixture over the cookie base and, using the back of a spoon, try to level it evenly, also tapping the pan on the table, to fill any empty spaces. Cover or place the autumn chestnut cheesecake in a cake holder and put it in the fridge to season.
Prepare the decorations. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler with two generous tablespoons of milk. As soon as it is melted, using a teaspoon, pour it onto parchment paper, creating decorations as desired. Let them dry for a night, transfer them to the fridge well covered until ready to use. If you have whole boiled chestnuts left over, dip them in melted chocolate, place them on parchment paper, let them dry, and then decorate the cold cake.
