Cheesecake Tartufo #BestThingWithSlicedBread

~ Tandy
Head straight on to the recipe for Cheesecake Tartufo ♥

These cheesecake tartufo are not the traditional tartufo that you will find in Italy. The dessert originates from the Calabrian region of Italy which forms the toe of the Italian peninsula and is an area I love to visit. The dessert is usually made with ice cream and may have a syrupy centre. The ice cream is always covered in chocolate and sometimes, nuts are sprinkled on top.

Cheesecake Tartufo On Crumble Topping
Cheesecake Tartufo On Crumble Topping

I have to confess to feeling very despondent since we received the results on the 1st of April for the second challenge. Whereas I never expected to be able to win against a professional chef, I suddenly was made to feel that the fact I am not a professional photographer was also coming into play. In the week leading up to the last of the three Blue Ribbon #BestThingWithSlicedBread challenges, all I could think about was the fact that nothing I could do for the challenge would be good enough. And my feeling about this challenge got worse when the box actually arrived and I opened it. The first ingredient was castor sugar, and other than using it when I make meringues I have no idea how this ingredient reacts to heat or works with other ingredients. The Bournville chocolate posed less of a challenge as I was quite sure it work the same way as my sugar free chocolate. But, the one ingredient I would never have in my house was the essence of vanilla! It contains water, ethanol, sugar, flavouring and colourant. Not a vanilla in sight and full of sugar. So, with 3 ingredients that were sugar based I had to try and come up with a recipe. Oh, and not be the same as anyone else. How easy would that be when the one ingredient was cream cheese?

Frozen Cheesecake Tartufo
Frozen Cheesecake Tartufo

If I didn’t believe in finishing what I have started I actually would have pulled out at this stage. Why do something when you stand no chance of winning, with ingredients you don’t use? That was my feeling last Friday. But, I went home, started playing around and came up with an idea. Then on Saturday, Sam told me what she had made, and so my idea needed a bit of changing. And on Sunday I did the best to make my Cheesecake Tartufo in the heat, without them melting too badly. Dave says they taste great, and I suppose that is the only winning accolade I really need.

Cheesecake Tartufo With Sweetened Milk
Cheesecake Tartufo With Sweetened Milk

Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Cheesecake Tartufo

These tartufo are based on the traditional Italian dessert that uses ice cream in the centre
Recipe Category: Dessert
All Rights Reserved: an original recipe from Lavender and Lime

Ingredients

for the sweetened milk

  • 250 mls milk
  • 100 g castor sugar
  • 5 mls vanilla essence

for the cheesecake centre

  • 100 g cream cheese
  • 50 g sweetened milk

for the bread crumbs

  • 2 slices bread crusts removed

for the chocolate soil

  • 50 g castor sugar
  • 15 mls water
  • 38 g dark chocolate finely chopped

for the crumb coating

  • 30 g bread crumbs
  • 10 g chocolate soil
  • 1.25 mls ground cinnamon

for the chocolate coating

  • 35 g dark chocolate
  • 35 g chocolate soil
  • 75 mls sweetened milk

Method

for the sweetened milk

  • Place the milk, sugar and essence into a small sauce pan
  • Over a medium temperature bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves
  • Reduce to the lowest temperature and leave to simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally
  • Remove from the heat and strain into a jug and set aside to cool

for the cheesecake centre

  • Place the cream cheese and sweetened milk into a bowl
  • Whisk until light and fluffy
  • Place into moulds and leave in the freezer for at least 6 hours

for the bread crumbs

  • Preheat the oven to 100° Celsius
  • Place the bread onto a lined baking tray
  • Bake for 30 minutes
  • Turn the bread over and bake for a further 10 minutes
  • Set aside to cool
  • Break up and place into a blender
  • Chop until small crumbs are formed
  • Place into a bowl and set aside

for the chocolate soil

  • Place the sugar and water into a small saucepan, making sure you do not splash the water up the sides
  • Bring to a boil on a high temperature without stirring
  • Leave to boil until it reaches 140° Celsius on a sugar thermometer
  • Remove from the heat and add the chocolate
  • Whisk until completely combined
  • Pour onto a lined baking tray and leave to cool
  • Break up and place into a blender
  • Chop until small crumbs are formed
  • Place into a bowl and set aside

for the crumb coating

  • Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine

for the chocolate coating

  • Place the chocolate into a bowl and melt to 47° Celsius
  • Remove from the heat and add the chocolate soil and sweetened milk
  • Whisk to combine

to assemble

  • Place a cooling rack over a baking tin
  • Remove the frozen cheesecake centres from the mould and place onto the rack
  • Pour the chocolate coating over each centre
  • Sprinkle the crumb coating over each one
  • Place back into the freezer to set
  • Serve frozen on a bed of the left over crumb coating or chocolate soil and with left over sweetened milk if you want

Notes

I used Blue Ribbon Low GI White Bread

Click on the links for conversions and notes.

Cheesecake Tartufo
Cheesecake Tartufo

Disclosure: I was invited to take part in this competition by Nicole Ferger from Gullan&Gullan. The ingredients were provided to me and the allowed pantry items of milk was used for this recipe. By entering I stand a chance of winning a gift voucher from Yuppiechef. This post is in line with my blogging policy.

Best Thing With Sliced Bread Round 3 Ingredients
Best Thing With Sliced Bread Round 3 Ingredients

What I blogged April 14:

Lavender and Lime Signature
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Published by Tandy

I am passionate about using regional, seasonable and sustainable produce when I cook. I live in Gordons Bay with my husband and dogs. We visit new places locally and overseas as often as we can to experience the food of the area. Follow along on our adventures!

50 thoughts on “Cheesecake Tartufo #BestThingWithSlicedBread”

  3. Well done to you for continuing! My dad is fromantic Calabria and I remember well as a child when he and my brother (both chocolate lovers) would order tartufo ice creams as dessert!

    Reply

  7. Hi Tandy, good for you for sticking in there. I think these look delicious, love that they are already in individual bites. Take care!

    Reply

  8. I’m glad you stuck with the challenge because these seriously look great and very unique. My favorite coffee shop in San Diego is called Caffe Calabria and it’s inspired by the Calabrian region, but I haven’t ever traveled there. I should try to convince them to put these on their menu 😉

    Reply

  11. What a challenge Tandy…I think you did brilliantly with results that look delicious.

    Reply

  18. You were able to pull off something delightful with just a few recipe items. Bravo!! Looks delicious. On a side note, need to check the Vanilla extract bottle lying around in the house. Never looked closely at the label.

    Reply

  21. How awesome these look amazing Tandy! It is not easy baking in summer’s heat and you have striven to achieve perfection. Lucky Dave 🙂

    Reply
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