Disclaimer: I participated in the Mom Blog Tour at the Summer Fancy Food Show 
on behalf of Wendy's Bloggers and received Cento products to facilitate my review. 
All opinions and recipes are my own.

Italian food has always been one of my favorites and I cook Italian dishes frequently. I had not even noticed Cento Fine Foods‘ authentic Italian products until recently and I am in love! 

I had the opportunity to learn about some of Cento’s amazing food products at the Summer Fancy Food Show in NYC and we even were able to try some delicious foods made with them! Did you know that Cento actually has 7 product lines under it? I’ll tell you more about these later.

Right now, I am so eager to share this recipe with you! One of the products that I received to try was the Cento White Balsamic Vinegar. It peaked my interest. Most of the items I received are meant for savory dishes. I wanted to challenge myself, so I decided to make something sweet.

This dessert is rich and delectable. The raspberries on top are so refreshing, the cheesecake is creamy, the crust is crunchy and slightly caramelized, and the chocolate balsamic drizzle on top adds the perfect touch. This is the perfect dessert to serve if you are having guests.

Now, you are welcome to replace the mascarpone and neufchâtel with an equal amount of cream cheese, but I highly recommend my cheese choices. Mascarpone may be a little costly, but it will give a soft, authentic Italian flavor to the dish and neufchâtel has 1/3 less fat than cream cheese so it helps to lighten the dish. They are also gluten-free (but you can’t tell!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup gluten-free graham crackers or cookies (I used Graham Minis from Mary’s Gone Crackers)
• 3/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 8 oz. container mascarpone cheese
• 1 8 oz container neufchâtel cheese, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (one bottle) Cento white balsamic vinegar*
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Fresh raspberries (about 3 per cheesecake)

*Cento does not appear to sell white balsamic anymore, but you can substitute with another balsamic of your choice.

Directions

Preheat: 350ºF

1. In a food processor, combine the pecans, graham crackers, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar and puree until it’s all in crumbs.

2. Mix the ground mixture with the melted butter until everything is wet.

3. Line a cupcake pan and press the mixture firmly into the bottoms of each cup. Bake for 12 minutes then let cool.

4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, neufchâtel cheese, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. You will want the mixture to be smooth so you may need to use an electric mixer; I just poured mine into a food processor and blended it for a few seconds.

5. Fill the cheesecake mixture into the the muffin cups until they are about 2/3 full or near the top (I went a little overboard and filled them to the top to use all the mixture.) Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cheesecake is slightly browned and a slight wiggle in the center when you move it.  Tip: As you bake it, the cheesecake will rise over the top and it will fall into the center once it cools. Don’t worry, this is normal! Mine turned into adorable, tasty bowls, perfect for adding toppings because they won’t fall off.

6. Cool the cheesecake until the pan is cool to the touch then move it to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

7. In a stainless steel pan, bring the white balsamic vinegar to boil over medium heat then reduce heat to simmer 30-40 minutes until it has reduced to about 1/4 the amount. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

8. Whisk the chocolate chips into the reduced vinegar until smooth. Let cool 30 minutes.

9. When you are ready to serve, remove the paper liner and add a few fresh raspberries into the center of the cheesecake then drizzle on a little of the chocolate balsamic sauce. Try adding other berries like strawberries and blueberries! Serves 12

Yield: 12 servings

Gluten-Free Mini Mascarpone Cheesecakes

Cook Time: 1 hour 22 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 22 minutes

This rich and decadent dessert will be your new favorite. It has a creamy crunchy texture, the fresh taste of berries, and the sweet flavor of chocolate balsamic. They are the perfect dessert for guests.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup gluten-free graham crackers or cookies*
• 3/4 cup and 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 8 oz. container mascarpone cheese
• 1 8 oz container neufchâtel cheese, room temperature**
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (one bottle) Cento white balsamic vinegar***
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Fresh raspberries (about 3 per cheesecake)

Instructions

1. Preheat: 350ºF
2. In a food processor, combine the pecans, graham crackers, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar and puree until it's all in crumbs.
3. Mix the ground mixture with the melted butter until everything is wet.
4. Line a cupcake pan and press the mixture firmly into the bottoms of each cup. Bake for 12 minutes then let cool.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, neufchâtel cheese, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. You will want the mixture to be smooth so you may need to use an electric mixer; I just poured mine into a food processor and blended it for a few seconds.
6. Fill the cheesecake mixture into the the muffin cups until they are about 2/3 full or near the top (I went a little overboard and filled them to the top to use all the mixture.) Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cheesecake is slightly browned and a slight wiggle in the center when you move it.
7. Cool the cheesecake until the pan is cool to the touch then move it to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
8. In a stainless steel pan, bring the white balsamic vinegar to boil over medium heat then reduce heat to simmer 30-40 minutes until it has reduced to about 1/4 the amount. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
9. Whisk the chocolate chips into the reduced vinegar until smooth. Let cool 30 minutes.
10. When you are ready to serve, add a few fresh raspberries into the center of the cheesecake then drizzle on a little of the chocolate balsamic sauce.
11. Try adding other berries like strawberries and blueberries!

Notes

* I used Graham Minis from Mary's Gone Crackers, which are no longer available, so I suggested a close alternative.

** You can substitute for cream cheese; it will just be a little thicker with a little higher fat content.

*** Cento does not appear to sell white balsamic anymore, but you can substitute with the balsamic of your choice.

As you bake it, the cheesecake will rise over the top, then it will fall into the center once it cools.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 280Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 182mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 5g

This nutrition information is auto-generated. Nutritional values may change with specific items and brands used, so manual calculation is recommended if exact nutritional counts are needed.

As I mentioned earlier, Cento has seven product lines included–Cento, AnnA, Bellino, Ferrara, La Florentine, Little Gina’s, and Maurizio. Cento is the largest with sauces, vinegars and oils, spices, vegetables, cheese, and more. Other product lines include foods such as pasta, coffees, syrups, nougats, panettone, and pizzelles. They have even expanded their organic certified Italian food line. Along with Cento products I received a package of their Ferrara nougats. They are divine. So sweet and so tasty. I love that they come in small individual packages because they are a great little pick-me-up to carry around. I’m excited to try out Cento Fine Foods’ other products. I cook with olive oil and tomatoes a lot so they will definitely come in handy. In fact, I’ve already worked on another recipe that uses Cento pizza sauce! You will see that recipe coming soon, so be sure to subscribe to my blog’s feed and follow on Facebook if you haven’t yet!

Follow Cento Fine Foods on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Know someone who could use this? Hit the “share” buttons below! Be sure to follow Arts & Crackers on social media (buttons at the top right of the page.)

You May Also Like

• Gluten-Free Baking Parragon Books
• ginnybakes Gluten-Free Organic Cookies
• Shortbread Cookies (with Idahoan Mashed Potatoes!) Recipe
• Cinnamon Apple Zucchini Muffins Recipe
• Strawberry Yogurt and Rhubarb Muffins Recipe
• Lemongrass Chicken and Quinoa Recipe

-Which Cento product do you want to try first?