I’ve been making cheesecake, one of my very favourite desserts, for many years. I remember the first few attempts being kitchen disasters, but eventually I found Rose Levy Brenenbaum’s recipe in The Cake Bible, which was meticulously detailed and resulted in my first beautiful and delicious cheesecake. It was rich and creamy, slightly tangy, and perfectly set with no cracks or overcooked edges. It was glorious. I’ve since adapted that recipe for a slightly firmer, cheesier cake (a personal preference), but have been following Rose’s rules for getting it to come out of the oven just right. This whole process involves a water bath, carefully wrapping spring foam pans in multiple layers of heavy duty foil, an ever-so-gently mixed batter (to avoid air bubbles), and a long and slow bake and cool down period. As much as I love both the process and the result, these days I rarely find the time or patience to actually make it that way.
I recently started experimenting with the idea of a cheesecake tart, with the hope that it would be far less vulnerable to the elements that would usually ruin a cheesecake, resulting in a much quicker and simpler process. And guess what? It worked! It baked beautifully without a water bath since the tart shell envelops the crust and prevents the edges from overcooking. It also cooked (and cooled) much faster and didn’t crack, despite blending the mixture vs. mixing it gently, as the cheesecake part is much shallower. I baked it in my gas oven, which worked really well, gently setting the custard without overcooking the crust. I still have a special spot in my heart for a full-blown beautiful cheese cake but this tart is great way to get my cheesecake fix without dedicating half a day to getting it right.
This fall version is topped with fresh figs, almonds, and honey, but any fresh or preserved fruit topping will do. I’m planning on trying a winter version with lingonberry jam next!
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