Nutella Cheesecake with Salted Popcorn Crust

recipe from chewtown

makes 1 full sized cheesecake or 3 minis

40 g unsalted popcorn

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes

84 g butter, melted (let cool a little so it doesn't completely melt the popcorn)

16 oz cream cheese, softened

250 g mascarpone cheese

12 oz nutella, for filling

3 teaspoons Nutella, to serve

handful crushed roasted hazelnuts, to serve



Preheat oven to 350 F.

To make the popcorn crust, place popcorn in bowl of food processor a cup at a time and process until finely ground. In a medium bowl, mix ground popcorn, 1/4 cup sugar, sea salt and butter until combined. You may need to grind another handful of popcorn and mix it in the the butter melts too much of it.

Line each pan with parchment for easier removal later. Divide mixture into thirds and then press mixture firmly onto bottom of three 10 cm spring-form tins (or one 9-inch). Put tins onto a lipped cookie sheet so the butter doesn't drip to bottom of oven and burn. Transfer to the oven and bake for 9 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.

While cooling, mix cream cheese, mascarpone and Nutella in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Spread evenly over the popcorn crust in the tins and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. 

To serve, first run a knife between the cake and the edge of the tin, then open the spring form lever and carefully remove the cheesecake. Top each cake with a teaspoon of Nutella and some crushed nuts.