Creme Fraiche Cheesecake Food

CREME FRAICHE CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• To make the crust: In a food processor grind the walnuts and sugar together. Stir in the melted butter, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 4 days. Using your fingers pack 1 1/2 teaspoons of mixture into small rings or collars 1 1/2 inches in diameter by 2 inches high. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool slightly before adding filling.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
• To make the filling: In an electric mixer, with a whip attachment cream the cream cheese. Mix in the remaining ingredients in order. Pour into baked crust lined collars filling to about 3/8 inch from the top. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until slightly puffed and barely shimmying in the center. Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes if puffed to make room for the creme fraiche topping.
• To make the topping: Blend all ingredients and place 1 tablespoon on top of the each mini cheesecake. With a small off-set spatula or a teaspoon, ease the topping to coat evenly. It will level itself out during baking. Bake at 300 degrees F for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, warm the rings and slip the cheesecakes out of them.

CHEF JOHN'S CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Combine cream and buttermilk in a glass jar. Cover tightly with cheesecloth (or any breathable material) and let sit at room temperature (70 to 75 degrees F (21 to 24 degrees C)) for 24 hours. Stir, screw on lid, and refrigerate for 24 hours before using.

CREME FRAICHE CHEESECAKE WITH SOUR CHERRY TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F; wrap the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil and place pan on a baking sheet.
• Beat the cream cheese and goat cheese until smooth; add sugar and continue to beat until sugar is incorporated.
• Beat in creme fraiche, vanilla, and pepper; beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl between each addition.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 250 degrees F and bake until just set, 45 to 60 minutes (cake will jiggle in the middle).
• Transfer to wire rack to cool.
• Prepare the cherries while the cake is cooling by heating a saucepan over medium heat; add sugar and 2/3 cup water and cook until sugar dissolves and syrup thickens, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add in the cherries and balsamic vinegar, stirring occasionally, until cherries soften and release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove cherries to a bowl with a slotted spoon and continue to cook liquid until reduced by half, about 10 minutes; remove from heat and return cherries and any accumulated juices.
• Loosen the cake by running a knife around the edge, then unmold; serve with cherry topping.

CARAMEL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Gently melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat. Place the digestives in a plastic bag and crush to fine crumbs using a rolling pin; you can also do this in a food processor. Tip them into the pan with the melted butter, stir to coat, then transfer to a 20cm springform cake tin (9cm deep). Using the back of a spoon, press them into the base, making sure you seal the edges. Place in the fridge while you prepare the next stage.
• If using leaf gelatine, place in a bowl, cover with cold water, soak for 5 mins, then drain. Pour 3 tbsp boiling water over the soaked gelatine and stir to dissolve. If using a sachet, see Know-how, below.
• Place the crème fraîche in a small pan with the muscovado sugars and a pinch of sea salt, then gently heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture liquefies and the sugar has dissolved. Give the mixture a quick whisk to get rid of any lumps. It should be warm, roughly the same temperature as the gelatine solution. Stir the gelatine and vanilla extract into the crème fraîche mixture, transfer to a bowl and cool.
• Place the ricotta in a food processor and whizz until smooth, then add the crème fraîche mixture and whizz again. Pour this on top of the cheesecake base. Cover with cling film and chill overnight.
• Run a knife around the sides of the tin, then undo the clip and remove it. Transfer to a plate or leave the cheesecake on the base for ease of serving. Pile the fudge flakes in the centre and dust with icing sugar. Cover and chill until required.

CRèME FRAîCHE CHEESECAKE WITH SOUR CHERRIES

Steps:

• To make the cheesecake, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Wrap the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with foil and place on a baking sheet.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and goat cheese until very smooth. Add the sugar and continue beating until no lumps remain. Beat in the crème fraîche, vanilla and pepper. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions, and beat until combined.
• Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 250 degrees and bake until the cake is just set (it will still wobble a little in the middle), 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
• While the cheesecake is cooling, make the cherry topping. Pour the sugar and 2/3 cup water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup has thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cherries and balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries soften and release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cherries to a bowl. Continue cooking the liquid in the pan until the sauce reduces by half, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir the cherries and any juice from the bowl back in.
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan before unmolding and serving with the cherry topping.

CRèME FRAîCHE CHEESECAKE WITH HONEY-RUM-ROASTED PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend all ingredients in bowl. Press mixture over bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 23/4-inch sides. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool. Wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of foil. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• For filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and blend 1 minute. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in crème fraîche. Transfer filling to crust. Place cheesecake in roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan.
• Bake cake until top is dry-looking and slightly puffed, about 1 hour. Turn off oven. Let cake cool in closed oven 1 hour. Remove from water bath. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 6 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• For topping:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place pineapple rings on large rimmed baking sheet. Boil remaining ingredients in small saucepan 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour syrup over pineapple. Roast pineapple 12 minutes. Turn rings over; roast until tender and syrup thickens, turning rings every 5 minutes, about 20 minutes longer. Cool pineapple on sheet. Cut into 1/3-inch cubes; transfer pineapple and syrup to bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.)
• Drain pineapple, reserving syrup. Cover top of cheesecake with some pineapple; stir remainder back into syrup. Serve cake, passing remaining pineapple in syrup separately.