Hide your bathroom scales.   Today Iron Chef Michael Symon of Lola Bistro in Cleveland and Roast Detroit restaurants brings you a killer calorie ridden decadent awe inspiring pan of deliciousness:  A Gorgonzola Cheesecake! Chef Michael and his happy smiling face created this video recipe for the Eat Wisconsin Cheese Board, and our favorite thing about it is that there is no crust to slave over.  No crust, see?  You are actually saving a few calories there, and berries, they are antioxidant packed!   Indulge, enjoy, and hit the gym later.

Gorgonzola Cheesecake
Serves 6-8

• Butter for the pan
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
• 2 2/3 cups (about 1 pound) Wisconsin Gorgonzola cheese
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups sour cream, divided
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 cup whole dried strawberries

Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese and Gorgonzola cheese in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in 1 cup sour cream. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 60-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.

Carefully spread remaining 1 1/2 cups sour cream over top of cheesecake. Return to oven 5 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.

To serve, place on serving plate. Carefully remove rim of pan, leaving cake on bottom. Using a pepper mill, grind pepper over top of cake. Top with strawberries. Serve with or on crusty bread.

Pastry Chef Yasmin Lozada-Hissom is a gleaming bright star in the culinary sky of Denver restaurants.  Twice named as a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for the Outstanding Pastry Chef award, Yasmin was named one of the 2010 Top Five Pastry Chefs in the US by Gayot.  Yasmin shares her magical desserts at Duo Restaurant, a Denver gem located on Zuni Street in the ever so hot  Highlands neighborhood.   Today’s recipe features her delicious mixed berry tarts, a simple yet elegant dessert which would make a great praise receiving contribution to a holiday party.  Enjoy and thank you Chef Yasmin!

MIXED BERRY TARTS (pictured front right on the plate) courtesy of Chef Yasmin Lozada-Hissom

Ingredients

SWEET PASTRY CRUST:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 egg yolks lightly beaten

TOPPING:

1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup crème fraîche
5 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-3 cups mixed berries such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries

Directions

Crust: Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Work in the butter with your fingers just until the mixture is crumbly. Add yolks and slightly knead the dough just until it comes together in a ball. Divide dough in two, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch round. Cut into 3-inch rounds, reserving the scraps. Drape the rounds into small muffin cups or mini tart molds. Repeat with the second piece of dough and any scraps, for a total of 12 or 16 tart shells (depending on the size of your molds). Prick the flat surface of each shell all over with a fork and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake tart shells until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let shells cool on pan before removing.

In a large bowl, whip cream, crème fraîche, powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream into shells, top with berries and sprinkle powdered sugar.