
I apologize in advance for my poor timing on this post. I‘m sorry it’s the first official weekend of bathing suit season and I’m doing this to you. There probably should be some sort of law against writing, talking, or even thinking about cheesecake while wearing a bathing suit, but I had to. You see, I received my first reader request. A strawberry rhubarb pie with some sort of twist. And I kindly wrote back “I’m heading to the beach on vacation. Maybe when I return.”
But then I remembered a recipe from the March issue of Bon Appetit Magazine and I couldn’t wait. It’s been on the top of my “make soon” list for over two months. Don’t you get it now? I had to. I’m sorry. Maybe I took “twist” a little too liberally and twisted a pie right into a cheesecake. But for that, I’m not sorry. Not at all.
This recipe caught my eye because it used goat cheese instead of cream cheese for the filling. What’s a better base for strawberries and rhubarb than lightly sweetened, creamy, soft, goat cheese? I don’t think there is one. I used almond meal for the crust. It’s light and crisp. The strawberries and rhubarb are roasted with a bit of orange juice and zest. It’s a wonderful, basic, roasted fruit topping that I envision on yogurt, ice cream or oatmeal. But here, it’s the perfect topping to this sweet, cool, vanilla-infused cheesecake. Get to it. You won’t be sorry.
Vanilla Cheesecake with Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberries (adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine) Ingredients: For the crust 1½ cups almond meal (or almond flour or equivalent amount of ground/crushed cookie – i.e. graham crackers or vanilla wafers) 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon orange rind Pinch of salt For the filling 8 ounces soft, fresh goat cheese 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract) 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup chilled sour cream For the roasted rhubarb and strawberries 2 cups rhubarb, chopped 2 cups strawberries, chopped 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (the juice of one large orange) 1/2 tablespoon orange zest 1½ tablespoons butter, cut into smaller pieces Directions: For the crust
For the filling
For the roasted rhubarb and strawberries.
Notes:
actual cheesecake filling is never baked. There are no eggs. It’s whipped and should set for quite a few hours. I let mine set for 7. The original recipe called for 6 hours, but the original recipe was also for smaller tartlets, not a cake. It could have probably stood to chill a little longer, so if you have the time, just let it be.
Posted on May 28, 2011