The Conversation (1)
After our dishes in a jar roundup, we were inspired to create a dessert of our very own to put in a jar. After all, everything is better with a jar, like slushies, pumpkin cider, and even lanterns! With the holidays coming up, this salted caramel cheesecake is great to throw together for a party or to give away as gifts. The only tough part here is making sure there’s some left by the time it’s served…
Ingredients:
Cheesecake
-2 packages (20 sheets) graham crackers
-11 tablespoons (1 3/8 sticks) melted, unsalted butter
-2 tablespoons sugar
-2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
-1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
-1/4 cup (roughly 1.5 lemons) fresh lemon juice
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Salted Caramel
-6 tablespoons light corn syrup
-1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more for garnish
Start off by making the graham cracker crust for the cheesecake by putting graham crackers in a large plastic bag. Using a roller, crush the graham crackers until they become fine crumbs.
Pour crumbs into a small mixing bowl, and add sugar, then melted butter. Mix until combined.
Put crumbs in mason jar, and freeze for about 10 minutes, until the crust is solid. To press it down, use the back of an ice cream scoop. Leave in the fridge while making the cheesecake.
To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer till it’s soft and creamy. Bit by bit, add in the condensed milk, making sure it’s fully integrated. Finally, add lemon juice and vanilla, making sure it’s fully mixed. Remove the jars from the fridge, and add in cheesecake filling. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before adding the salted caramel.
After the cheesecake has been chilling, begin making the salted caramel. In a medium saucepan, gently warm the corn syrup (about medium heat). When it’s warm, stir in the sugar and let cook over medium heat, without mixing it. Keep an eye on the mixture, and when it changes to an amber color, remove it from the heat. Quickly stir in the butter. Add the cream in a steady stream while mixing with the other hand. Finally, add the sea salt, and stir until it’s melted. If the caramel becomes thick again, gently warm it on low heat until the salt is completely melted in. Let cool, but not so much that you can’t stir it.
Remove the cheesecakes from the fridge and pour caramel sauce over the cheesecake layers.
Sprinkle some sea salt for garnish, and voila! Complete.
Nanette Wong
Nanette is an all around food enthusiast who loves transforming basic everyday foods into something delicious, and of course, full of sprinkles. You can see more of her at www.nanettewong.com.