Toffee Crunch Cheesecake

Bake up this fabulous toffee crunch cheesecake for your family this Easter or Passover!  They’ll love the toasty matzoh crust, the rich chocolate ganache, and the creamy filling!  Brulée the top for a delightfully crackly burnt sugar topping!

This is a sponsored post, written by me, on behalf of Philadelphia Cream Cheese.  All opinions expressed herein are straight from my heart.

So here we are, tomorrow is Good Friday and Passover begins Friday night!  Do you have your menu planned?  What are you making this year???

I feel like Passover desserts can be so tricky!  Of course there are those cakes and stuff that are made with matzoh meal which, I’m sorry, I just cannot get into.  Then there are the “safe” desserts, the ones that just naturally don’t contain wheat or leavening, like ice cream and flourless chocolate cake.  But the thing is, after being a part of a Jewish family for over a decade, I’ve learned that Passover isn’t just about not eating those foods, it’s also about celebrating matzoh and eating it in lots of different ways.

Have you ever had matzoh toffee crunch?  It’s that candy that’s made by pouring a brown sugar caramel over saltine crackers and then coating it in chocolate.  It’s to-die-for.  I would eat that matzoh toffee crunch any ol’ time of year, not just during Passover.  It’s that good.

So, why not top it with a thick slab of creamy-dreamy cheesecake?  It’s like, you have a good thing, and then you make it even better.  I used Philadelphia Cream Cheese.  It never lets me down.  It’s so insanely creamy, soft, and delicious.

Regardless of whether you celebrate Passover, or Easter, or anything else, this cheesecake is a perfect dessert for family gatherings.  I’ve been tinkering around with my cheesecake recipe for a while now, and I’m really loving where it’s at right now.  If you can’t get your hands on a box of matzoh, you can substitute unsalted saltine crackers.  But- try to get your hands on a box of matzoh.  Trust me.  It is soooo good as a base to this brown sugar cheesecake.  It’s got such a great crunch and a really toasty flavor that I loooved so much, I may never do graham crackers again 😉

Top the cheesecake with a layer of granulated sugar, just before serving, and brulée it with a kitchen torch.  It is amazing!  Mr. Allie and I had a similar dessert at a restaurant recently and it changed our lives.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend!  We are looking forward to a nice Seder with my in-laws tomorrow night, a visit from the Easter bunny on Sunday morning, and a traditional ham with pineapple stuffing for Easter supper.  Lots of love to you and yours!

Thank you to Philadelphia Cream Cheese for allowing me to partner with them to create delicious recipes for the Easter season!  This recipe was developed, tested, and photographed by Baking a Moment, and is not an original Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe.

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Toffee Crunch Cheesecake

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 40 mins

Chill Time

8 hrs

Total Time

2 hrs 10 mins

 

Bake up this fabulous Toffee Crunch Cheesecake for your family this Easter or Passover! They'll love the toasty matzoh crust, the rich chocolate ganache, and the creamy filling! Brulée the top for a delightfully crackly burnt sugar topping!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cheesecake, crunch, matzo, Passover, toffee

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 533 kcal

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2 sheets matzoh
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ounce milk chocolate, chopped
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

For the Filling

• 24 ounces cream cheese (3 bricks)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch (or potato starch)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (approx.) for brulée

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Crust:

1. Mist an 8-inch x 3-inch (straight-sided) round pan with non-stick spray, and line with a circle cut from parchment paper.
2. Break up the matzoh and place in the bowl of a food processor, along with the brown sugar and salt.  
3. Process to a fine crumb.  
4. Stir in the melted butter and press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
5. Heat the cream until steaming.  
6. Stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth.  
7. Pour the ganache over the crust, and set aside.

Make the Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place the cream cheese, brown sugar, corn or potato starch, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and beat on medium speed until smooth.  
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.  
4. Pour in the cream, vanilla, and salt and stir on low speed until combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  
6. Place the cheesecake in a larger baking dish, and pour very hot water into the larger dish, about 1-inch up the sides of the pan.  

7. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the heat down to 300 degrees F and bake for an additional 80 minutes or until the cheesecake is set around the sides but still slightly wobbly towards the center.  

8. Turn the oven off, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for at least an hour.
9. Chill the cheesecake overnight in the fridge.  
10. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan, and wrap it in a hot towel to loosen it.  
11. Flip the cheesecake onto a plate, and then invert it onto a serving platter.  
12. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, and brulée with a kitchen torch, or put it under the broiler for a few minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Toffee Crunch Cheesecake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 533 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 20g125%

Cholesterol 188mg63%

Sodium 345mg15%

Potassium 194mg6%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Sugar 36g40%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 1350IU27%

Calcium 113mg11%

Iron 1.2mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.