Mascarpone Cheesecake

Photo: Deanna

Ingredients

Crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

2 ounces cartons (8 each) Mascarpone cheese

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 eggs, lightly beaten

TOPPING:

1 envelope whipped topping mix

1 tablespoon caramel ice cream topping

Preparation

Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.

In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter.

Press onto the bottom of prepared pan.

Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

For filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cheeses, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.

Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull.

Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Before serving, prepare topping mix according to package directions. Garnish cheesecake with whipped topping; drizzle with caramel. Refrigerate leftovers.