The mulled wine cheesecake is a stunning dessert, with the full aroma of spiced wine, perfect for serving during Christmas holidays. This cheesecake consists of a base of cookies and cocoa nibs for a crunchy touch, a layer of mulled wine cranberries, the cream part naturally made with mascarpone and cream cheese, and a mulled wine jelly. A harmonious delight in terms of taste and textures.
There are various preparations to make, but they are all simple and quick to prepare, so don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 12 slices
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 4.6 oz whole grain cookies
- 0.7 oz cocoa nibs
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 pinches salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2.6 oz butter
- 10.5 oz fresh cranberries (American cranberries)
- 2.8 oz sugar
- 2.5 fl oz red wine
- 2.5 fl oz water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 0.3 oz gelatin sheets
- 12.3 oz mascarpone cheese
- 8.8 oz cream cheese
- 6.3 oz sugar
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 organic orange (zest)
- 8.8 fl oz heavy cream
- 0.2 oz gelatin sheets
- 8.8 fl oz red wine
- 1.8 oz sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 4 cloves
- 1/2 organic orange (zest)
- 1.8 oz dark chocolate
- 3.5 fl oz heavy cream
Steps
To prepare the base of the mulled wine cheesecake, crumble the whole grain cookies thoroughly, optionally using a blender, and place them in a bowl. Add the cocoa nibs, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and mix. Melt the butter and add it. Mix well and transfer it to a cake pan, previously lined with parchment paper at the bottom. Compact the cookie and butter mixture well at the bottom of the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To prepare the cranberry layer, wash and drain the cranberries and place them in a saucepan. Add the sugar, red wine, water, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring. Boil for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the cranberries start breaking down and the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Once cooled, remove the cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise, and pour the mulled wine cranberries onto the cheesecake base, spreading them evenly, leaving about 3/4 inch from the edge. Refrigerate.
To prepare the cheesecake cream, soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, combine mascarpone, cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla bean seeds, and the grated zest of the previously washed orange. Mix everything with electric beaters until creamy and homogeneous.
Gently squeeze the gelatin sheets and place them in a saucepan. Melt over low heat without boiling!
Add 3 tablespoons of cream to the saucepan with the melted gelatin and stir immediately with a whisk to blend thoroughly. Then pour back into the bowl with the remaining cream, working simultaneously with the electric beaters until homogeneous.
Whip the heavy cream and fold it into the cream with a spatula using upward movements.
Pour the cream over the base with the mulled wine cranberries and spread evenly. Refrigerate.
To prepare the mulled wine jelly, soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the red wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, and two pieces of previously washed orange peel (without the white part) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, and gently boil for 10 minutes. Strain to remove the spices and add the squeezed gelatin sheets. Stir until completely dissolved and let the jelly cool to about room temperature. At this point, pour the jelly over the cheesecake and refrigerate the entire cake for at least 5 hours, or overnight if desired.
Melt the dark chocolate, place it in a pastry bag with a small round tip, and draw stars on parchment paper. Of course, you can create other shapes as you like. Let dry at room temperature.
Before serving the cake, whip the heavy cream, transfer it to a pastry bag, and decorate the cake as desired. Finish with the chocolate stars and serve your mulled wine cheesecake.
