Cookbooks: 300 Best Potato Recipes

When you think of potatoes, what do you think about? Do you think about cheesecake? Or how about marzipan? I know, crazy right? We think potatoes and directly go to french fries, mashed potatoes, potatoes gratin; all of which are delicious recipes and variations of them can be found in the new “300 Best Potato Recipes” cookbook by  Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh. Thanks to Robert Rose Publishing, we’re sharing the perfect holiday dessert recipe. Although I haven’t made this exact recipe (I’ve made a few others that can’t be published on the blog, but you surely can purchase the book from Amazon and have access to them all!), I’ve read through it and if it’s like any of the other recipes in the book, it will sure be delicious!

Photo Credit: Photo provided by Robert Rose Inc.

1.Chocolate Crust: In a bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, cinnamon and melted butter until crumbs are completely moistened. Press over bottom and halfway up the sides of springform pan. Center pan on a large sheet of foil, then gather foil and wrap around base and sides. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 10
minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, leaving foil intact. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°C).

2. Filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Beat in mashed potatoes until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, orange zest and orange juice until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, scrape into
chocolate crust.

3. Place springform pan in roasting pan. Pull out center oven rack and set roasting pan on rack. Pour enough very hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Return rack to preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes or until filling is set around edges but still a bit wobbly in center. Turn off oven and let cheesecake cool in oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Transfer from roasting pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

4. Cover cheesecake and refrigerate for 4 hours. Remove pan sides. Before serving, fill a measuring cup with boiling water. Dip a sharp knife into the water, wipe it dry, then slice cheesecake; wipe blade clean, dip it, dry it and slice again.

Tip: Use cream cheese that comes in a block, not the spreadable kind, because the latter has less volume owing to the air that is whipped into it to make it easily spreadable. For this recipe you need a more solid cream cheese.


Tip: When making cheesecake, avoid opening the oven door, as drafts can cause the cheesecake to crack. Also, don’t over-bake; cheesecake is done when the edges are slightly puffed and the center still appears a bit soft and moist. It will firm up on cooling. Run a thin-bladed knife around the outside edges of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan after removing from the oven, to prevent cracking as it cools and contracts.


Disclaimer: This book was provided to me free of charge, with no expectation of blogging about it. I’ve shared it with you because I believe it’s a useful book and I’ve enjoyed cooking from it.