Chèvre Cheesecake with Candied Meyer Lemon
I’ve had some version of this cheesecake on almost every menu since my first
pastry chef position in 2013. It’s incredibly versatile and pairs beautifully
with most fruit, so feel free to switch it up seasonally. I like it with candied
citrus in the winter, poached rhubarb and macerated strawberries in the
spring, grilled peaches in summer, and apples or quince in the fall. If you
can’t find Meyer lemons, conventional will work, too
Ingredients
ALMOND CRUST
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar loosely packed
- ½ cup ground almonds not super fine
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
FILLING
- 20 ounces fresh chèvre room temp
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 eggs
CANDIED MEYER LEMON
- 2 Meyer lemons washed, sliced into thin half-moons and seeds removed
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups water
Instructions
- ►CRUST: Preheat oven to 325°. Lightly spray a 9” springform pan with non-stick cooking spray and line bottom with parchment paper. Combine flours, brown sugar, almonds, and salt in a mixing bowl. Drizzle in melted butter and mix with a spatula until mixture is combined but crumbly. Gently press into prepared pan in an even layer, allowing mixture to come up the sides about one-quarter inch. Chill for 20 minutes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until it is a touch darker and slightly crisp. Cool completely at room temperature.
- ►FILLING: Reduce oven to 300°. Combine chèvre, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla bean seeds, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Drizzle in heavy cream, pulsing and being careful not to over mix or mixture will become grainy. Scrape down bowl of processor as needed with a spatula, ensuring no lumps. Crack eggs into a small bowl and add one at a time through the feed tube, pulsing until mixture is just combined, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Wrap bottom of pan in foil and set it on a sheet pan with a rim. Pour filling evenly into crust, and place pan in the oven. Pour about ¾-inch hot water into sheet pan. Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes; the cake should be set, yet slightly wobbly. Cool at room temperature in pan before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for at least six hours or overnight.
- ►CANDIED MEYER LEMON: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add lemons and boil for one minute. Drain into a colander and rinse gently with cold water. Rinse out pot; add sugar,
- water, and lemons. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and gently simmer until reduced by about half. Mixture will be syrupy and thick. Cool in pot before transferring to a container to refrigerate. (Make several weeks ahead, and any extra syrup is great in cocktails.)
- ►TO SERVE: Release latch on springform pan and remove ring. Transfer cake to a serving platter and top with candied Meyer lemon and some syrup.
