Candied Fig Hazelnut And Orange Cheesecake With Port Sauce Food

CANDIED FIG, HAZELNUT AND ORANGE CHEESECAKE WITH PORT SAUCE

Steps:

• For figs and crust:
• Combine Port, figs and cloves in heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until figs soften, about 20 minutes. Cool. Discard cloves.
• For crust:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine vanilla wafers and hazelnuts in processor and grind finely. Add butter and process until moist crumbs form. Press crumbs onto bottom and halfway up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Freeze crust 20 minutes. Spread fig mixture onto bottom of crust.
• For filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Mix in liqueur, vanilla and peel. Spoon filling over fig mixture in crust. Gently shake pan to distribute filling.
• Bake cheesecake until filling is golden around the edges and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer to rack. Press down edges of cake to flatten if necessary. Maintain oven temperature.
• Combine sour cream and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in small bowl. Spread mixture evenly over top of cake. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Run small sharp knife around sides of cheesecake. Cool. Refrigerate cake overnight. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• Release pan sides from cake; transfer cake to platter. Cut 5 slices from orange. Cut each slice in half. Cut each fig lengthwise into 5 slices. Arrange orange slices, cut side toward center, around top edge of cake. Place fig slice atop each orange slice. Place hazelnuts between orange slices. Serve with sauce.
• For port sauce:
• Stir Port and sugar in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 13 minutes. Mix water and cornstarch in small bowl. Whisk into Port mixture and boil until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Cool. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

FIG-HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE WITH HONEY-BOURBON DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 285 degrees F (140 degrees C). Cover the bottom plate of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil and snap plate into the ring. Coat the sides of the pan with butter.
• Process vanilla cookies in a food processor to yield 2 cups of crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and add butter; use a fork to blend. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Top crust with 1/2 the figs and 1 cup hazelnuts.
• Place cream cheese in a large bowl and beat using an electric mixer on low speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl. Sift sugar and flour together in a bowl and add to the cream cheese mixture. Add sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and hazelnut liqueur, beating thoroughly. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix on low speed until yolks disappear. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes without opening the oven door. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside with door closed for 60 minutes more, allowing residual heat to set the cheesecake. Open oven door slightly at 1 hour and leave cheesecake in the cooling oven for another 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool at room temperature for 60 minutes more.
• Refrigerate cheesecake for 1 hour. Unhook pan clasp and slowly remove ring, making sure not to touch the sides of the cake. Place cheesecake in the freezer, covered or uncovered, 8 hours to overnight. Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving.
• Prepare the topping just before serving: Place honey in a microwave-safe bowl and heat slightly. Stir in bourbon. Arrange hazelnuts around edge and in the center of cheesecake. Drizzle honey-bourbon mixture on top.

ELEGANT ORANGE BLOSSOM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan., In a large bowl, combine crumbs, 2 teaspoons orange zest and butter. Press onto bottom and 2-in. up sides of prepared pan., In a large saucepan, combine orange juice and ginger; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Strain and discard ginger., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in ginger syrup, melted chocolate, vanilla and remaining orange zest. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan., Bake at 325° for 70-80 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight., For candied orange slices, in a large skillet, combine water and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Add orange slices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 45 minutes or until translucent. Drain oranges on a wire rack; arrange in a single layer on waxed paper to dry., Remove sides of pan. Top cheesecake with candied orange slices. Refrigerate leftovers.

MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE W. CANDIED PECANS AND DULCE DE LECHE SAUCE

Steps:

• For crust:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Finely grine pecans in processor.
• Mix butter, flour, ground pecans, sugar and vanilla essence.
• Press into greased 9" springform pan.
• For filling:.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth.
• Add mascarpone and flour; beat until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
• Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
• Pour filling over crust in the springform pan.
• Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.
• Bake cheesecake until top is golden and cake is almost set (center 2 inches will still move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile --
• For candied pecans:.
• Line baking sheet with foil; spray with nonstick spray.
• Combine sugar, and water in heavy small saucepan.
• Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water and swirling pan, about 7 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Immediately stir in pecans. Quickly pour mixture out onto prepared baking sheet. Working quickly and using 2 forks, separate pecans into individual halves. Cool completely.
• Break candied pecans apart, leaving each pecan half intact with some candied caramel attached.
• (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Makes about 1 cup.).
• (Can toast pecans at 350°F for 5-7 minutes first before stirring them into caramel).
• For dulce de leche sauce:.
• Combine whipping cream and brown sugar in heavy medium saucepan.
• Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• Boil until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in sweetened condensed milk.
• (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium-low heat just until warm and pourable. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.).
• Cool cake on rack 1 hour.
• Refrigerate uncovered overnight.
• (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.).
• Arrange Candied Pecans decoratively atop cake. Cut cake into wedges. Serve with Dulce de Leche Sauce.
• *Italian cream cheese, available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.