No-Bake Mascarpone Cheesecake

I crafted this cheesecake recipe for a party from combinations of different ideas and am delighted to share it with all of you. I like cheesecakes, but am not overly fond of the combination of sour cream and cream cheese, so this is a great alternative to a "traditional" cheesecake. It's also a wonderful summer dessert, as it requires no baking, which is a wonderful boon during a hot summer.

Ingredients for Crust:

• 3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (or your favorite cookie crumbs)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients for Filling:

• 3 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from 2 envelopes)
• 3 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese (about 28.5 ounces, from four 8-ounce containers
• 1 cup agave or honey (or 1 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar)
• 1 tablespoon rose water

Toppings:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 pound of strawberries

To make the crust:
Finely grind hazelnuts and graham cracker crumbs in a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the crumbs are moist. Apply the crumb mixture to the bottom of a 9-inch-diameter spring form pan. Press the mixture to form an even crust on the bottom. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

To make the filling:
Pour 3 cups of whipping cream into a medium bowl. Pour 1/4 cup water into a small heatproof bowl and pour the gelatin powder into the water. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Place the bowl with gelatin over barely simmering water and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Remove bowl from the simmering water and pour the remaining 1/2 cup cream into the bowl of dissolved gelatin.

Pour the contents of the gelatin bowl into the 3 cups of whipping cream and whisk gently until well blended. Using an electric mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese, agave (or honey) and rose water in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the cream-gelatin mixture until the consistency becomes smooth. Pour the filling over your cooled crust. Cover and chill overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day, cut around the pan sides with a sharp knife to loosen the cheesecake. Remove the pan sides and place cake on a platter. Wash and thoroughly dry strawberries. Chop into quarters lengthwise (throwing out the stems) and arrange your strawberries onto the top of the cake, making sure to cover the entire surface. To make the balsamic glaze, boil balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 4 minutes). Cool the syrup. Drizzle the syrup onto the top of the berries.