First of all I have to pat myself on the back because this is the first cheesecake that I have made that didn't crack!!!! I'm not sure why it didn't or what I did different but I'm very proud of myself.
Now my story-Every year for my friends birthday I bake her a different cheesecake. This year I picked Mango Cheesecake because I have never had or cooked with mango. I had a small piece of the cheesecake and it was very creamy and everyone said that it didn't taste like a normal cheesecake, it was better! I made the basil syrup and only one person really liked it, so I probably won't make that again (although it smelled amazing) and I used a grahm cracker crust instead of the biscotti. The recipe is Giada's from the Food Network website.
Mango Cheesecake:
8 ounces biscotti
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
2 cups mango puree
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
Basil Lemon Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
For the Mango Cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.
Blend the cream cheese and ricotta in a food processor. Add the mango puree, eggs, and sugar and pulse until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the mango mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool for 30 minutes. Place in the refrigerator and cool completely, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
For the Basil Lemon Syrup: Place the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Cool the syrup completely. In a food processor combine the basil and the cooled syrup. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
Slice the cheesecake and place on a serving plate. Drizzle with the syrup and serve.
