Pistachio Brittle Cheesecake
A luxurious cheesecake featuring a shortbread-pistachio crust, creamy cardamom-spiced filling, and white chocolate-sour cream topping, garnished with homemade pistachio brittle. This elegant dessert combines the rich flavors of pistachios, cardamom, and white chocolate for a sophisticated twist on classic cheesecake.
Ingredients
- •1 package shortbread cookies
- •½ cup natural unsalted pistachios
- •¼ cup sugar
- •¼ cup unsalted butter
- •3 packages cream cheese
- •1¼ cups sugar
- •1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- •4 large eggs
- •2¼ cups sour cream
- •½ cup pear nectar
- •2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- •2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- •5 ounces white chocolate
- •1 portion Pistachio Brittle
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend shortbread, nuts and sugar in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; process until moist clumps form. Press onto bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Bake crust until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool crust.
15 min
- 2.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and cardamom in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add 1 cup sour cream, pear nectar, flour and vanilla and beat until blended. Pour filling over crust.
10 min
- 3.
Bake cheesecake until puffed at edges and softly set in center, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack; let cool 10 minutes.
65 min
- 4.
Meanwhile, stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until smooth (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Cool chocolate to lukewarm; whisk in remaining 1 1/4 cups sour cream.
15 min
- 5.
Spread topping over warm filling. Refrigerate cake uncovered overnight. Cut around pan sides; release pan sides. Place cake on platter. Stand brittle pieces on edge in topping on cheesecake.
720 min
