Prato Cheesecake

The bar-restaurant "Accanto a Mattonella" which was next to our historic bakery - in via Ricasoli 16, was open from 2004 to 2007.

The Mattei biscuit factory products were always on display in the restaurant, both in the window and on the menu: Cantucci with aniseed, Pan di Ramerino, Mantovana cake, Candied Filone and of course our Prato Almond Biscuits, which always accompanied the coffee.
We also had fun proposing these products in different ways or transforming them to make other recipes. An example is the Cheese – Cake: in its winter version (baked in the oven) or in the summer version, which is the one we are recommending in the following recipe, where finely chopped Prato biscuits (cantucci with almonds) are used to make the base of the cake.

Cold Cheseecake freddo - ricepe of Letizia Pandolfini

Ingrediends

Crust:
350/400 g almond biscuits "Biscotti di Prato"
150 g butter

Filling:
350 g cream cheese
250 g cream
180 g sugar
4 gelatin sheets
2 egg whites

Topping:
jam/preserves or chocolate to taste

Start by crushing the biscotti into crumbs, using a mortar or mixer. Melt the butter, pour it into the crumbs and mix. Put wax paper in a baking pan an pour in the crumbs mixture, pressing so a create an even pie crust. Leave it in the freezer for at least half an hour.

To make the filling, soak the gelatin sheets in water until soft and then remove, wringing out the excess water. Heat up the cream and the add the gelatin sheet, sugar and cream cheese, mixing well. Beat the eggs whites until stiff and add these to the mixture. Stir slowly, until completely uniform. Pour the filling over the crust and put in the freezer for 20 minutes; remove and then refrigerate for at least an hour and a half.

Before serving, the cheesecake can be topped with orange preserves pr any other type of marmelade/ / Jam / preserves (according taste)