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If you love pistachio, then you’ll flip over this cheesecake!
Pistachio Cheesecake: Heaven In A Bite
I have to admit it was love at first sight with this pistachio cheesecake.
The first time I saw it was on my friend Lisa’s popular Incredible Recipes page. My mouth started to water.
The original recipe comes from Lady Behind the Curtain. Not only is Sheryl a fantastic cook, but I absolutely love her blog for ideas for themed parties. She is a talented lady and I wish l lived close to her so I could get invited to one of her parties!
Super Rich But Worth It
I’ve been making cheesecakes for many years, but this is the richest cheesecake recipe I ever saw.
This cheesecake is big on cream cheese, and I mean really big. It uses six large bars.
I wouldn’t recommend making any substitutions for low-fat products here as it may not work. Non-fat products definitely will not work–I’ve tried it in other cheesecakes I make and each time I ended up with a gloppy, clotted mess. That was for baked cheesecakes, but non-fat probably would work in a no-bake cake.
Crust Is Excellent
The crust in this cheesecake is more than just a “shelf.” It’s a great-tasting nutty shortbread!
Sheryl gave the choice of using almonds or pistachios. I used almonds but next time, I’m going with pistachios!
Just as an aside, you can substitute any flavor pudding you want and you will have an entirely different cake. That’s the beauty of this recipe.
A Word About The Whipped Cream Garnish
This was the first time I tried the stabilized whipped cream that uses cream cheese. So many swear by this recipe, so I knew it must’ve been my error instead of the recipe when it wouldn’t set up.
My friend Deb S. makes this all the time to pipe on cakes and she set me straight–she said to use regular sugar and whip everything at the same time and together. No whipping the cream to soft peaks, then separately whipping the cheese. Nope–all together.
However, I found a method that works every.single.time. That secret is a product called “Instant Clear Gel.” This product is used in commercial bakeries to stabilize whipped cream frosting, but it can be used for many other purposes. The instant variety needs no heat or cooking and will begin to swell the minute it hits liquid. You mix it with the sugar. I use 1 tablespoon of Instant Clear Gel to 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar for one pint of cream. Whip the cream to soft peaks then add the sugar/Instant Clear Gel mixture gradually then keep beating to the desired consistency.
Easy peasy!
Watch The Video
The Recipe
Pistachio Cheesecake
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup ground pistachios or almonds
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup 1 stick cold unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
CHEESECAKE
- Cheesecake:
- 6 bars 8 oz each softened cream cheese
- 2 pkgs instant pistachio pudding mix
- 5 eggs
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Lightly spray a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.
- For the crust, place the flour, ground nuts and sugar in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Cut up the butter and add it to the flour mixture already in the food processor along with the almond extract. Pulse until the mixture resembles small crumbs. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare filling by beating the cheese, condensed milk and the pudding mix, mixing well so it’s totally combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, on low speed, so they are well incorporated.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 55-65 minutes or until the center is almost set (about the size of a quarter or 1-inch in the center).
- Cool for 10 minutes on a rack, then run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Cool completely to room temperature then refrigerate overnight.
Nutrition
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