Gluten Free Chocolate Marble Cheesecake with Caramelized Pecan Crust (Dairy-Free Options)

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
• 1 cup Carla's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (Earth Balance Buttery Sticks for dairy-free)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
For the Cheesecake:
• 3 (8-oz.) packages gluten-free cream cheese (Philadelphia) (or Tofutti for dairy-free)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 2 oz. gluten-free bittersweet chocolate (Scharffen Berger- 70% or Ghirardelli 60%) (Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips for dairy-free and allergen-free)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
To Make the Crust:
2. Whisk together the flour, pecans, butter, and brown sugar. Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of an 8 or 9-inch round or square pan.
3. Whisk together the flour, pecans, butter, and brown sugar. Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of an 8 or 9-inch round or square pan.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
To Make the Batter for the Cheesecake:
6. In the large bowl of your electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
8. Remove about 1 cup of batter; set aside.
9. Pour the batter on top of the cooled crust.
10. Add the chocolate to a heat-proof bowl and melt over a saucepan of low-boiling water, stirring until smooth.
11. Add the melted chocolate to the 1 cup of batter, and stir until combined.
12. Add dollops of chocolate batter to the top of the vanilla batter. Using a butter knife (I use a butter knife and wooden skewer), make swirling motions to create a marble effect.
13. Bake on the center shelf of the oven until the center is just set. Jiggle the pan every 5 minutes after 25 minutes of baking. It usually takes 30 - 35 minutes to fully cook.
14. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. The slower it cools, the less likely it will crack.
15. Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate for about 4 hours. Cover until ready to serve.

© Copyrighted 2009 - 2016. Wilkins Publishers. All rights reserved. All content, photos and images are copyrighted by us or their respective owners. You must obtain permission by their owners before using any of them.