I am so honored to have a guest post by Mac Woo sharing his well-known salted caramel cheesecake recipe with YummyFoodBook’s readers. Obolo Bakeshop, owned by Chef Mac Woo, is one of the renowned patisserie cafes in Singapore. A local home-grown brand since 2004, it is famous for its hand-crafted cheesecakes and macarons. The pastries are baked fresh on a daily basis and the self-taught pastry chefs of Obolo never fail to surprise its customers with its innovative creations.
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Hopelessly sinful, delightfully delectable, and amazingly addictive, cheesecakes will always be a to-die-for treat for all sweet junkies. It practically goes well with almost everything that you put in it. From fresh fruits to gooey chocolate syrups, this dessert will always look and taste good.
There is this one version however, that tops all kinds of cheesecakes recipes. It’s a certified “class A drug” in the confectionary universe. Salted caramel cheesecake has a strange combination that is surprisingly intoxicating. It all starts with the sudden burst of sweet and salty flavors that go so well together. It is one of the luxurious cheesecakes that can drive all your cravings away with just one single bite.
Watch out though because this dessert is anything but innocent. It seduces all unsuspecting victims, which can seriously turn into a bewitching salt caramel cheesecakes love affair. And you know what? It’s totally worth it!
Salted Caramel Cheesecakes Recipe
Baking the Crust
Ingredients:
2 cups of Graham Crackers (that’s about 15 crackers; crushed)
3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 stick of butter (that’s about 4 tablespoons; unsalted)
1 and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
Procedures:
1. Ready the oven; make sure it is preheated to 375 degrees F.
2. Grind the crackers in a food processor or you can just buy ready-made graham crumbs from your local grocer.
3. Add the kosher salt and sugar in the bowl of crumbs.
4. With the food processor running, add the melted butter until everything is thoroughly mixed. It should have a sticky texture that is easy to mold. Transfer it to a ten-inch baking pan. Make sure it’s deep enough to accommodate all the cheesecake toppings.
5. Put it into the oven and start baking it until the crust is golden brown. It should be not more than 12 minutes. Once there’s a heavenly
buttery waft that courses through the air, it’s done. Remove it from the oven and put it on the rack while you fix the cheese topping.
6. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 300 degrees F.
Making the Cheesecake
Ingredients:
24 ounces of cream cheese (make sure its in room temperature)
1 can of milk caramel (also known as dulce de leche; this is about 14 ounces; optional)
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 and ¼ cups of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
Procedures:
1. Using an automated stand mixture, start beating the cream cheese until it has a smooth texture. Add dulce de leche, flour, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until the batter is fluffy, this would take about five minutes or so. Make sure there are no lumps.
2. Add one egg yolk at a time and beat until the yolk is thoroughly mixed in before adding another egg yolk. Be careful though. Don’t overbeat the eggs because this will make the batter puffier, which can cause hideous cracks on top.
3. Once mixed, carefully pour the cheesecake mixture on the now cooled crust and put it in the oven. Bake it for about 55 minutes. You’ll know its done when it wobbles when you move it and the sides are slightly puffy while the center is half-baked.
4. Put it on the rack to cool. Refrigerate for eight hours.
Caramel Sauce for the Cheesecakes
Ingredients:
¼ cup of granulated sugar
3 tablespoons of water
½ cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Procedures:
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, mix the sugar and water over medium heat. Don’t stir. Just let it melt. This is a tricky procedure because sugar can be easily burnt. So once the mixture looks like honey (dark golden brown and gooey), turn the heat off right away. This should take about 3 minutes or so.
2. Using a whisk, add the butter, cream, salt, and the vanilla extract. Continue whisking until it fluffs up.
3. Put it back in low heat while whisking continuously, until the texture is smooth. If the caramel is too thin, let it boil slightly and it will be perfect. Let it cool for about 15 minutes. Make sure you do this after the cheesecake has been in the refrigerator for eight hours.
4. Get the cheesecake and just pour the caramel sauce on top of it. Don’t worry if it gets messy because that adds up to the charm. Slice it up, serve, and enjoy.
Go ahead, indulge yourself. This recipe can help you re-discover a whole new world of golden treacle delight. It’s one of the best cheesecakes that you’ll ever taste so take the time to savor this heart-stopping dessert and you’ll experience heaven on each celestial bite.
Author’s Bio:
Mac Woo is the chef-owner of Obolo Bakeshop; one of Singapore’s leading patisseries cafe, handcrafting its award-winning cheesecakes and macarons daily. Along with June Lee; these two aspiring architects turned self-taught pastry chefs, started this 100% home-grown brand in 2004; infusing their design training into creating exciting and innovative flavours