CRAWFISH CHEESECAKE

Crawfish Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST:

• 3 tbsps melted butter

• 1 egg white

• 1 cups crushed butter crackers (like Ritz)

METHOD FOR CRUST:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, egg white and crackers.

Press mixture into the bottom of two 4 1/2-inch springform pans (or you could use 7oz ceramic ramekins).

Bake for 8 minutes to crisp. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F.

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING:

• 1/2 pound crawfish tails, chopped

• 1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1 1/2 tbsps cornstarch

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp Zatarain's Creole seasoning

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 1/2 tbsps minced onions

• 2 1/2 tbsps minced red bell pepper

• 1/4 cup sliced chives

• 1 large eggs

METHOD FOR FILLING:

In a mixing bowl, blend cream cheese, sour cream, cornstarch, salt, Creole seasoning, cayenne, onions, bell pepper and chives. Blend well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl again. Fold in the chopped crawfish tails.

Pour the batter over the cooled crust.

Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven for another hour without opening the door. Cool on a rack for at least 4 hours. Carefully unmold. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve with crackers or alone.

This dish was so easy to make and oh so delicious. The savory twist on this famous dessert is very satisfying. The assembly was a breeze and it would be great to make this the day before you need it in order to let it set over night for the right consistency. The flavor was amazing and the crust was addictive!