Join Mark & Tiffany Candelaria for December’s cooking class with special guest chef, Jessica Williams. They will be making a delicious, yet easy holiday treat, Cheesecake in the InstantPot! They also make two tasty toppings on the stove, cherry compote and caramel sauce. Full recipe and instructions below, and watch them prepare this in the Candelaria Design kitchen in the video button below!

Watch the Tutorial Video

Ingredients:

For the crust:

4 oz. graham crackers

1 Tbs firmly packed light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

1 lb cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of kosher salt

Preparation:

To make the crust, in a food processor, combine the graham crackers, cinnamon and brown sugar and pulse to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Press the mixture firmly in the bottom of a 7-inch round springform pan. Set aside.

To make the filling, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar and sour cream and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt and beat on medium-high speed until evenly blended, about 1 minute. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.

Pour 2 cups water into an Instant Pot and insert the steam rack. Using a foil sling, lower the cake pan onto the rack. Tuck the foil ends over the cake, lock the lid in place, and turn the valve to “sealing.” Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook at high pressure for 28 minutes.

Once the pressure cooking is complete, let the steam release naturally for 15 minutes, then turn the valve to “venting” to release any residual steam. Remove the lid and, using the sling, lift out the cake pan. Let the cake cool, then cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Cherry Compote:

1/2 cup sugar

1 lb fresh or thawed frozen cherries, pitted

1 strip lemon zest

2 tsp. cornstarch

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the cherries and lemon zest, bring the liquid back to a simmer and cook until the cherries are slightly softened but still hold their shape, about 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 Tbs. water until the cornstarch is dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the simmering cherries and cook, stirring gently, until the liquid is clear and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer the compote to a bowl, remove and discard the lemon zest, and let the compote cool to room temperature.

Caramel Sauce:

1 cup granulated sugar

6 Tablespoons salted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high heat resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.

Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.

Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2 minutes. If you notice the butter separating or if the sugar clumped up, remove from heat and whisk to combine. Keep whisking until it comes together.

Stir in 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble when added. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to slightly cool down before using.

This recipe is one of the Candelaria kids’ favorite meals that Mark makes. He’s been making this recipe and perfecting it for years, but only recently, with the commercial success of the modern pressure cookers, has he adapted this recipe to be made in half the time! Here we have an absolutely delicious dish for four, that Mark serves with either his Porcini Risotto (recipe below) or mashed potatoes. View his Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Green Chile recipe by clicking here.

Watch Our Tutorial Video

Traditionally, making risotto is a slow, hands on dish that requires constant stirring and adding hot stock. I’ve been making it at home with my family this way for years, but with the introduction of the Instant Pot, all of this has changed. Here is the recipe I use to make risotto in a pressure cooker, it is so simple and quick that it feels like cheating, but it’s as tasty as the traditional way and so much easier!

Risotto Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup chopped onion or shallots

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cups diced mushrooms (I use dried Porcini from Italy, which you need to reconstitute in hot water first - save the broth for the Instant Pot)

1 rosemary sprig

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

3/4 cup white wine

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Risotto Recipe

Select the Saute function on an electric pressure cooker. Add butter and olive oil; stir until butter melts, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in onion; cook for 2 minutes. Add rosemary sprig; cook for 1 minute.
Stir rice into the pot until each grain is coated with butter-olive oil mixture, about 2 minutes. Pour in wine; simmer for 3 minutes. Pour in chicken stock and some of your mushroom broth if you reconstituted dry mushrooms, stirring to scrape the sides of the pot. Simmer for 1 minute.
Close and lock the lid. Turn the venting knob to sealing. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions and set timer for 6 minutes, or select medium pressure for 8 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
When pressure cooking is finished, tap venting knob a few times with a wooden spoon or spatula. Turn the knob to point at Vent to release pressure. Remove lid when pressure is released, about 5 minutes.
Stir risotto until creamy, about 1 minute. Discard rosemary sprig. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and combined. Enjoy!

Short Rib Ingredients

6 lbs short ribs/about 8. (Serves 4)
Salt to season generously
1 medium onion
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper or 2 tsp if you prefer it spicier
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 cloves of garlic
2 - 3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup red wine
1 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
1 tbsp water
Italian or curled parsley for garnish

Short Rib Recipe

Fill a large bowl or pot with cold water. Immerse the short ribs, and rinse the ribs in the cold water to wash off excess blood and bone dust.
Drain and pat dry the short ribs with paper towels. Generously sprinkle salt on all the ribs, on both sides.

Switch on the Instant Pot to the saute setting on high. When the instant pot is hot, pour about 2 tbsp of oil.
When the oil is hot, place about 3 - 4 short ribs in the instant pot to caramelize or to sear. It's important not to overcrowd the bottom in order to get nice caramelization on your short ribs.
Sear the short ribs on all sides, about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Place the caramelized short ribs on a plate.
Repeat with the rest of the short ribs.

For the next step, you will only need about 1 tbsp of oil in the instant pot. Discard the excess oil if there's more than 1 tbsp of it in the instant pot at this point.

Place the thickly sliced onion in the pot, and add some wine to de-glaze the bottom of the instant pot and make sure that all of the caramelized bits on the bottom are mixed with the wine (de-glazing is an important step, so don't skip it).

Add the paprika, cayenne pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Then switch off the saute function on your instant pot.
Place the short ribs back in the instant pot and add the garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt (how much salt to add at this point depends on how well you seasoned the short ribs earlier - be careful not to over-salt, since you can always add more salt at the end if needed).
Pour the stock over the short ribs. Close the instant pot. Choose the manual high pressure function and set it to high. Cook the short ribs for 45 minutes, followed by a 10 - 15 minute natural release.

Gently remove the short ribs on to a plate, and turn the saute function back on for the liquid/broth in the instant pot.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and add it to the liquid/broth in the instant pot. Mix it in and bring it to a simmer until the liquid has thickened. Taste and season the liquid with more salt or balsamic vinegar, if needed.
Transfer the short ribs back into the instant pot and switch off the saute function.
Optional step - once the short ribs have cooled off, place your instant pot cooker pot in the fridge (covered). Leave it overnight, or for at least 4 hours, until the fat has solidified on the surface. Then remove this layer of fat, and reheat the short ribs in the instant pot.
Serve atop your homemade mushroom risotto and garnish with Italian parsley!

Inspiring Living Lifestyle

Instant Pot® Cheesecake with Toppings with Chef Jessica Williams