Orange Scented Cheesecake Baked In Crispy Filo Food

ORANGE RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack to the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Spread the pistachios out on a baking sheet and bake until golden and toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a heat-safe plate to cool, then pulse them in a food processor until very finely ground. Transfer the ground pistachios to a small bowl and set aside.
• Set a 9-inch springform pan on top of a piece of parchment paper and trace a circle around it. Cut out the circle and set aside. Generously grease the bottom and sides of the pan with the room temperature butter, then press the parchment circle into the bottom of the pan.
• Put the ricotta and 2/3 cup sugar in the bowl of food processor and process until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer the ricotta mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the eggs yolks, orange zest and juice and the vanilla.
• In another large bowl, add the egg whites and whip using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the eggs become foamy. Sprinkle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue to whip the egg whites until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to fold 1/3 of the beaten whites into the ricotta mixture until just incorporated and a few white streaks remain. Gently fold in the remaining whipped egg whites, folding until there are no white streaks remaining.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan and set it on a baking sheet. Bake until the cheesecake is light golden brown and the sides begin to pull away from the pan, 55 minutes to about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Transfer the cheesecake to a cooling rack and let it cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before serving.
• To serve, run a thin knife or spatula around the cake to release it from the sides, then unclasp the latch of the pan. Dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar and sprinkle with the finely ground pistachios. Set the cheesecake on a cake platter, slice and serve.

ORANGE-SCENTED CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment, butter again and dust the whole pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Put the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Add the granulated sugar and orange zest and pulse a few times to combine evenly. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand, with some pea-size bits of butter.
• Whisk the milk, vanilla and eggs together in a small bowl or measuring cup with a spout. With the processor running, pour in the milk mixture and process until smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans and invert the cakes onto the rack. Peel off the parchment and cool completely.
• Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners? sugar, vanilla and salt and gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until the sugar is incorporated and the frosting is fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running on low beat in the cream and then continue beating until the frosting is creamy and thick, about 1 more minute.
• Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate, and spread 1 cup of the frosting over the top. Top with the other cake layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

ORANGE-SCENTED CHEESECAKE BAKED IN CRISPY FILO

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the softened cream cheese at medium speed for about two minutes. Slowly add the sugar and beat until very smooth. Taste and adjust the sugar if necessary (note: this is not an overly-sweet dessert).
• Dissolve the cornstarch in the milk then add it to the bowl with the cream cheese mixture. At low speed, beat in the eggs and the orange zest. Process the mixture until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times, but be careful not to over mix.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Butter well a 9-inch spring form pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and set aside (this will prevent any butter from leaking out during the baking stage).
• Place one sheet of filo dough on a clean surface and brush with some melted butter. Place a second filo sheet on top of the first and brush with some more melted butter. Repeat with a third layer. Cut the stack of three layers of filo in half. Lift half of the sheets of filo dough and place them on top of the other half. Place this stack of six layers of filo inside the prepared pan, gently pressing the filo to fit inside the pan; the long ends of your filo will slightly come up the sides of the pan (see photo). Repeat, the same with three more layers of filo, cut them in half, stack them on top each other and place them in the pan the opposite way (see photo), so that you have completely covered the bottom and sides of the pan. Your crust now has a total of 12 layers of filo (six sheets of filo in total, cut in half). Trim excess filo from around the pan, butter the edges lightly and tuck them in. Do not fuss too much about having even sides all around.
• Pour the mixture of cream cheese into the filo crust and smooth the top.
• Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. At this point the cheesecake is almost done. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven another 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a rack. As the cheesecake cools, it might shrink slightly from the filo crust.
• Once the cheesecake is completely cool, carefully, release it from the mold. Just before serving, top the cheesecake with chopped candied orange, fresh berries, and pearl sugar (or a topping of your choice). Serve at room temperature for the optimal filo crunch. Refrigerate the rest to enjoy later. If you do refrigerate the cheesecake, the filo will likely soften a bit, but the taste will still be amazing.

ORANGE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Using a microplane grater or the smallest holes on a box grater, zest one entire orange onto a plate or into a bowl; set aside, and refrigerate zested orange for a later use.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, making sure there are no lumps; add sugar and mix well.
• Add eggs and egg yolk; then add orange juice concentrate, orange zest, flour, vanilla extract& orange extract and mix until thoroughly combined, scraping down sides& bottom of bowl frequently to make sure all of the cream cheese is incorporated.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place prepared pie crust in center of a cookie sheet (preferably without sides).
• Brush crust with some of the orange juice concentrate.
• Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared crust and bake 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set but still wiggles slightly when shaken gently (cheesecake will continue to cook after removing from oven).
• Remove cheesecake from oven, and let cool thoroughly on a wire rack (without the cookie sheet).
• When cooled to room temperature, refrigerate cheesecake for several hours.
• While cheesecake is chilling, remove some of the rind from the second orange with a vegetable peeler or citrus zester, being careful to only remove the orange part (the white pith is bitter).
• If using a vegetable peeler, cut the pieces of rind into very thin julienne strips; set aside.
• Make chocolate curls by scraping a large chocolate bar with a heavy knife, holding knife at a 90-degree angle to bar.
• When ready to serve, place a mound of the chocolate curls in center of cheesecake; sprinkle with julienned strips of orange.
• Refrigerate any leftovers.

PHYLLO-WRAPPED CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Position rack in center of oven Brush two sheets of phyllo pastry with the melted butter.
• Top each with another sheet of phyllo, brush with butter.
• Cut each stack in half crosswise to form four squares.
• Place frozen cheesecake in center of each square.
• Top cheesecake with 1 tbsp raspberry jam.
• Wrap phyllo around cheesecake, pinching together to form a purse.
• Brush with butter.
• Bake 400 degree oven for 10- 12 minutes.
• In pan stir together orange juice and remaining jam.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 3- 5 minutes.
• Serve sauce overtop of warm cheesecake.

ORANGE-SCENTED BAKED RICOTTA CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to slow - 150°C (suggested as 140°C if you are using a dark non-stick tin).
• Line base and side of a 23cm spring-form cake tine with lightly buttered baking paper.
• Put ricotta into a large food processor and whiz until the ricotta is a smooth as possible.
• Add cream, sugar, flour and salt. Process for 10 seconds or so, then add the zest, orange liqueur and vanilla extract. Briefly whiz again.
• Break eggs into a jug and then, with food processor going, slowly pour them through the feed tube. WHiz for 30-40 seconds, stopping and scraping down the sides occassioanlly, until smooth and creamy.
• Scrape mixture into the tin and shake gently to level surface. Sprinkle almonds over the top.
• Bake about 1 hour or until it is golden and feels set when you lightly rest the palm of your hand on the surface and gently wobble it.
• Transfer to a rack and leave to cool in the tin. It will sink a little.
• Cheesecake is best served warm or at room temperature.
• Remove sides of tin and invert onto a plate. Sit a serving platter on top and invert the cake again, so that it's almond side up.
• Dust lightly with icing sugar (confectioners sugar) and serve with cream and some fresh fruit.
• Store left-overs in the fridge, but warm them gently before serving.