So I’m here to end my exploration of Ottolenghi Simple on a sweet note with these cheesecake cups. I’m not the biggest dessert person out there. My sweet tooth tends to rear its’ ugly head occasionally but on the whole, I can totally skip this course. I’d rather be cooking savory dishes but I do get the itch to bake or to make a sweet dessert every now and then. That’s when I get the side eye at home. My partner doesn’t like it when I bake AT ALL. He has more of a sweet tooth than I do and he hates caving in to sugar. Especially right now while he’s on the Keto diet (lol)! More on that later…
A few changes I would make.
Not only is this great to look at, it’s a satisfying end to a meal. I could only eat this in very small portions though. Thinking back, I would dial the sugar down a bit, especially in the cherry compote. Cherries can be so sweet, naturally. I think 3/4 cup sugar was too much. I could have easily halved that amount. The compote probably would have taken a longer cooking time to thicken but that’s ok. With the cheesecake, I went straight to my food processor as I knew it would make quick work of mixing together cream cheese and the rest of the ingredients.
I also would make more use of the citrus in this recipe. The orange peel was used in the compote but not the juice. I would add maybe a 1/3 cup of the juice in the compote to add acidity. For the cheesecake, the zest of a lemon was used. I might add a tablespoon or two of lemon juice to the cheesecake as well. For the crumble component, I increased the salt slightly. My feta cheese didn’t seem very salty in the cheesecake (always taste your ingredients). A few grains of Maldon sea salt on top as a garnish wouldn’t hurt either. I like a lot of contrast in my sweets. I admit it.
A great cheesecake dessert for entertaining.
This dessert would be so convenient for serving guests. Everything could be made a day or two ahead. It’s a three component dessert but nothing is particularly complicated. The cheesecake and cherry compote could happily live in the refrigerator and the hazelnut crumble in an airtight container on the counter. This recipe makes 3 cups of crumble, which was way too much for 6-8 servings of the dessert, in my opinion. You could easily halve this portion of the recipe. Leftovers would be great over ice cream or yogurt in the morning and could be kept longer in the freezer.
Sweet and Salty Cheesecake with Cherries
Ingredients
for the Cheesecake
- 4 ounce feta
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temp
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 lemon zested
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
for the Crumble
- 1 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter diced, cold
- 1 cup almonds ground
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp black or white sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp salt
for the Cherry Compote
- 1-1/4 lbs cherries frozen
- 3/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
- 3-4 star anise whole
- 4 strips orange peel
Method
- In a food processor or stand mixer, add the feta cheese and process until fairly smooth. Add the cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest and pulse to combine. Add cream and pulse to mix. Set aside in refrigerator to thicken.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the crumble. In a medium bowl, add the chopped hazelnuts, ground almonds and sugar. Stir to combine. Add the butter and (using fingers) rub the butter in until mixture forms fine, pea-sized crumbs. Stir in salt and sesame seeds. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool, then break apart until crumbly.
- For the compote, add the cherries to a medium saucepan. Add the sugar, star anise and orange peel strips. Bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Allow to cool at room temperature. Remove star anise and orange peels.
- To assemble, spoon cheesecake mixture into serving glasses or bowls. Top with cherry compote and crumble.
Pin it for later!
In memorandum of Suzy Post
I would like to dedicate this to a great lady who has sadly passed; Suzy Post. She was an insatiable woman, full of energy and infectious spirit. She openly gave her opinion to everyone, whether you wanted to hear it or not. A great contributor to our society, she will be sorely missed. She happened to drop by while I was testing this and a few other recipes, so I fed her and another friend. I think she liked this recipe the best that evening as she was loathe to share it with her companion. You can read more about her here and here. Farewell Suzy. We will all miss your brisket.
I’m so sorry to hear about your friend. I’m glad she enjoyed your dessert!
It was time for her to go. It was great to know I got the chance to feed her one last time before she left this world.
What a beautiful memory you have with your friend! And the recipe sounds delicious!
I love that you used hazelnuts and almond flour instead of regular flour for your crumble! I’m going to have to try this!!
I love that you used hazelnuts and almond flour instead of regular flour! Im going to have to try this! Sorry for your lost and thanks for sharing!
Thanks Lyndsy! Please do try it! Even if it’s just the crumble topping. Great for breakfast or a topping for ice cream 😉
So sorry to hear about your friend. This recipe I’m sure holds a special place on your heart. It looks delicious so I’m sure she really enjoyed it!
Thank you Melissa!
I am on a dessert/bread kick lately. This looks so yummy 🙂
Had this in a country pub in Sussex today. Unbelievably delicious and rich. Will be making it very soon!
I’m glad you can make and enjoy it at home! Cheers!