Costco had Nutella on sale. They sell them in 2 packs. 67 oz of chocolatey, hazelnutty, I need some in my mouth right now by the spoonful, nectar of the Gods. In my NUTELLA ON SALE induced daze, somehow a few of the containers found their way into my shopping cart. Since they are in my care now, I can’t just let them collect dust and sit in darkness in my pantry.
Some of you may have noticed, but I do many of my food experiments when I have company over. It’s obviously a risk since my guests are expecting to be fed good stuff, not WTF food flops. Good thing there are many restaurants nearby.
I had some friends over for a girl’s crafts day. I decided to try a new Nutella concoction since MOST of my friends love Nutella. My one friend who shall not be named doesn’t like Nutella, and we think she’s a freak of nature. Lets see if she’ll read this post. I made a Nutella Tuxedo Mousse Cheesecake. It sounds fancy, but it’s a pretty straightforward recipe, and it is a no bake cheesecake.
I started with the Oreo crust. I got my 10 inch springform pan. If I was not too concerned about presentation, I would use a 9×13 baking dish, a pie pan, a regular cake pan, etc. However, I don’t want to dig out messy scoops of crumbs and gooey cheesecake. So, this here is my springform pan.
For those of you who are not familiar with a springform pan, this is why it is a special tool. Once the wall of the pan is removed, the cake can be easily cut and served.
I got 2 sleeves of Oreos and butter.
I debated hauling my heavy ass food processor out from the cabinet. But it’s so bulky and heavy, and then I’d have to wash all these parts. So I ended up using the rolling pin and ziplock bag approach. I pounded my life’s frustrations out on those Oreos, but my laziness won over, so my Oreo crumbs were pretty chunky. It still tasted great, just personal preference if you want a very fine crumbed crust, or more of a chunky cookie crust.
I mixed the cookie crumbs and the melted butter directly in the pan, and I spread the mixture evenly. Fewer dishes are always a bonus. Bake at 350ºF for 8 minutes. I know I said the cheesecake was no bake, and technically the cheesecake part did not require baking. You can certainly make a no bake crust, but I prefer the crunchier texture of a baked cookie crust. Let the crust cool before pouring in the cheesecake filling.
So I mentioned before that one of my goals is to use as few dishes as possible. I busted out my stand mixer for the next 3 parts of the cheesecake, but I did not wash the mixing bowl until I finished everything. Why waste time and water washing that big bowl when it is not necessary?
First I made the whipped cream that will garnish and enhance the cheesecake eating experience. This is 2 cups of heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar. So much tastier and wholesome than the stuff you buy from the freezer section at the grocery store. Just start mixing on low speed so the cream doesn’t splatter everywhere. Make your way to high speed, and whip until you get stiff peaks.
After the whipped cream is put into another container and stored in the fridge, time for the first layer of cheesecake. I whipped another cup of heavy whipping cream with sugar and vanilla extract. I set that aside in the fridge while I mixed the cream cheese mixture. I mixed 2 blocks of regular fat cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. After the cream cheese mixture was smooth and creamy, fold in the whipped cream.
Pour the mixture onto the cooled crust. Notice I placed the springform pan on a pizza pan. It’s not that I don’t trust my springform pan…ok I don’t fully trust my springform pan. It serves its purpose, but I have visions of the pan falling apart from the weight of the cake, and a floor covered with mush.
Ok so this is the same picture I used earlier, but it’s just to show that I whipped 2 more cups of heavy whipping cream with vanilla extract and sugar. Set that aside in the fridge.
Mix 1.5 cups of Nutella with 1 block of cream cheeese, sugar, and vanilla (I eyeballed the amount of Nutella I used. It was approximately 1.5 cups, but it may have been a little more.) Mix until everything is incorporated and smooth.
Fold in the whipped cream.
Pour the Nutella mixture on top of the cheesecake layer. Cover the pan with some plastic wrap or foil, and place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight until the cheesecake firms up.
I had a container of strawberries that I froze earlier in the year. It was approximately 4.5 cups of strawberries. I thawed it out until it wasn’t a solid block anymore, then I put it in a small saucepan with turbinado sugar and vanilla extract. There is plenty of water in the strawberries, so no need to add water.
I let it come to a boil, then turned the heat to medium/low and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes.
After it cooled down, I used a stick blender to turn it into sauce. My squeeze bottle was the perfect size for the amount of sauce made. That is a mini silicone funnel. I got it for pouring bulk spices into smaller jars, but it is also useful for pouring sauces.
After a night in the fridge, I unlatched the pan, and gently wiggled the pan over the cheesecake.
To serve, I drizzled strawberry sauce on the plate, and topped the slice of cheesecake with whipped cream and a Ferrero Rocher. Whaaaaat, fancy dessert in the comfort of your own home.
Nutella Tuxedo Mousse Cheesecake
Oreo Crust
Ingredients
– 2 sleeves of Oreos (26 cookies)
– 4-5 tbs of unsalted butter (melted)
Directions
Crush the Oreos in whatever manner you desire. Mix the crumbs and melted butter in a 10 inch springform pan. Add a little more melted butter if the crumbs are too dry and won’t form a crust. Press the mixture evenly to make a crust. Bake at 350ºF for about 8 minutes. Let the crust cool before pouring the cheesecake in.
Whipped Cream
Ingredients
– 2 cups heavy whipping cream or heavy cream
– 2 tbs sugar
– 2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
– Pour everything into the mixing bowl. Start on low speed, and gradually increase to high speed. Whip the mixture until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate the whipped cream until ready to use.
Cheesecake Mousse
Ingredients
– 2 8oz blocks of regular fat cream cheese (room temperature)
– 1 cup sugar
– 1 tbs vanilla extract
– 1 cup of heavy whipping cream or heavy cream
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1 tbs sugar
Directions
– Whip the 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tbs powdered sugar into whipped cream. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
– Mix the cream cheese, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tbs of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
– Gently fold the whipped cream in until everything is incorporated and fluffy.
– Pour the mixture onto the cooled crust.
Nutella Cheesecake Mousse
Ingredients
– 1.5 cups Nutella
– 1 8oz block of regular fat cream cheese
– 1/3 cup sugar
– 1 tbs vanilla extract
– 2 cups heavy whipping cream or heavy cream
– 2 tsp vanilla extract
– 2 tbs sugar
Directions
– Whip the 2 cups of heavy cream, 2 tsp vanilla, and 2 tbs sugar into whipped cream. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
-Mix the Nutella, cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and 1 tbs of vanilla until smooth and creamy.
-Gently fold the whipped cream in until everything is incorporated and fluffy. Note that the mixture will be a light brown color. If you want a darker more dramatic brown, you can add a little cocoa powder or espresso powder into the mixture. This will change the flavor though, so beware.
– Pour the Nutella mixture over the white cream cheese layer.
– Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate a few hours or overnight until the cheesecake firms.
Strawberry sauce
Ingredients
– About 4.5 cups sliced strawberries (frozen and thawed, or fresh)
– 1/3 cup sugar (I used turbinado)
– 1 tsp vanilla
Directions
– Bring everything to a boil, lower the heat to medium/low, and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
– Once the strawberries cool a little, smash the strawberries into sauce with whatever method you choose.
– For easy pouring, use a squeeze bottle.
