Gulab Jamun Cheesecake
You're probably thinking WHAT?! But yes, I just went there. Gulab Jamuns (Gulab meaning Rose and Jamuns meaning dumplings) are a delicious, sweet, spongy, dumpling, served in a rose water infused sugar syrup. One of the most popular desserts in any South Asian home, wedding, or gathering. It was only a matter of time before I mixed two of my favorite desserts into one. Thanks BuzzFeed for encouraging the idea! Here's my take on this delicious delicacy that was definitely a crowd pleaser this weekend.
All you need to do is follow the recipe for my Mini Cheesecakes, but minus the sugar...
That's where the sweet Gulab Jamun come in. Pickup 10 Gulab Jamuns at your local South Asian Bakery or do what I did and grab some from your mom...thanks mom! ;)
Gulab Jamun are fried sweet dumplings that are then soaked in a rose water and Cardamom sugar syrup. Which are so decadent, which is why we cut the sugar out of the cheesecake!
Ingredients:
3 (8oz) pkg Cream Cheese (softened)
3 Eggs
10 Gulab Jamuns with 1/4 cup syrup
Zest of a small lemon
1/2 A Lemon Juiced
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
Crust:
12 to 15 Marie Tea Biscuits (ground)
1/4 cup Pistachios (ground)
1/2 Stick Salted Butter (melted)
1 tbsp Sugar
Method:
Mix crust ingredients together and pat down in a cheesecake pan or in 3 to 4 mini cheesecake pans.
Bake at 350'F for 7 to 10 mins.
Now let the crust cool while you make your cheesecake batter.
Whisk together the cheesecake ingredients except the gulab jamuns and their syrup.
Pour half the cheesecake batter over the baked and cooled crust.
Now cut 6 of your gulab jamuns in half and place them on top of the batter you just poured over the crust.
Pour the second half of your cheesecake batter over the gulab jamuns to cover.
Bake the cheesecake in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes for mini or 25 to 30 mins or until set for a larger one.
Once cooked, pull out to come to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Once chilled, it's time to garnish and serve.
Garnish by drizzling the entire cheesecake with the Gulab Jamun syrup.
Now garnish with the reserved 4 gulab jamuns by either placing them whole or cutting them in quarters.
For extra flavor you may garnish with some freshly ground cardamom, crushed pistachios and edible rose petals if desired.
Note:
You may also serve the Gulab Jamun Syrup on the side so each person can choose how sweet they want their cheesecake.
You may also make these into cheesecake bars by just following the steps but baking and assembling it in a square or rectangle baking dish!
And that's it! The verdict to this insane cheesecake was definitely a positive in our home. Let me know how you liked it and remember this can always be made into one large cheesecake as well.
A great crust alternative is using digestive cookies crushed with cashews for a more authentic South Asian taste. If you’re gluten free just use a gluten free cookie or almond flour and cashews for your crust!
