RECIPE OF THE MONTH
The honey cheesecake bite stole the show (arguably) at awine tasting event last month at the Hall at Fauntleroy.
Guests of the second annual Cross-Border Terroir Wine & Food Event were wined and dinedto a eight-plus-course meal replete with wines from British Columbia and Washington State. The evening,hosted by the online lifstyle magazineHeed the Hedonist and its resident hedonista, Jacqueline Pruner, ended on a sweet noteas guests washed down the cheesecake bite with Sooke, British Columbia’s Tugwell Creek Honey Farm and Meadery’s 2011 Wassail Blush.
The famed honey cheesecake bite and graham cracker sable, finished offwith housemade orange citrus marmalade.
to recreate thistreat, you’ll need:
Honey Cheesecake Bites (16 cake bites)
4 cups of softened cream cheese (4 8-ounce packages)
1 1/3 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon honey (we like Boistfort Valley Farm’s, availableat theBallard SundayMarket)
16 Graham Cracker Sable (recipe to follow)
12 ounces Orange Citrus Marmalade (recipe to follow)
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a 9″ x 9″ baking dish with parchment cut to fit with the paper hanging out from 2 sides. Spray with non-stick spray. Note: the edges of the paper will help when you remove the cheesecake from the pan after baking and freezing.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy. Add sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla until combined. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in the sour cream.
3. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and secure the flaps of paper with tape on the sides of the dish (to make sure the paper doesn’t fall onto the top of the cake). Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the center is almost set. It will continue to cook after removing,
4. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Transfer to freezer for at least 8 hours or overnight.
5. Remove from the freezer and bring it to room temperature–should take about 30 to 40 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of the pan to loosen cake. Using the paper edges, carefully lift the cake from the pan onto a cutting surface. Using a 2″ ring cutter, punch out 16 cylinders of cake and refridgerate.
Tip: Dip the ring cutter in hot water before/after each punch for easier and cleaner punches.There will be waste from the edges–you can serve this to the kids for “taste testing” or cut out square shapes with a knife for your own presentation purposes.Graham Cracker Sable (makes 24)
6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1. Combine the butter, graham cracker crumbs, and 3 1/2 table spoons of sugar in mixer. Beat at medium until the mixture is crumbly. Add flour and eggs, beat on low speed until combined.
2. Shape dough into a brick on a floured surface. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
3. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
4. Roll out the dough on floured work surface to 3/16″ thick. Use a pastry brush to remove excess flour. Use a 2″ round cutter and cut out crescent moons.
5. Place cut-outs on the prepared sheet. Brush with water and sprinkle remaining 1 table spoon of sugar. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the sables are golden brown.
Orange Citrus Marmalade (makes 8 cups)
5 oranges
1 lemon, zested and juiced
6 cups water
3 3/4 pounds of sugar
Wash the oranges and lemon thoroughly. Cut the oranges into 1/8″ slices using a mandolin, removing the seeds as you go. Stack the orange slices and cut them into quarters. Place the oranges into an 8-quart stainless steel pot. Add the lemon zest and juice and water to the pot, set over high heat and bring to a boil, approximately 10 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 40 minutes or until the fruit is very soft.
Meanwhile, place a small plate in the freezer. Increase the heat under the orange mixture to return to a full boil. Add the sugar and stir the mixture continually, until it reaches 222 to 223° F on a deep-fry or candy thermometer and darkens in color, approzimately 15 to 20 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat in order to prevent boil-over. Test the readiness of the marmalade by placing a teaspoon of the mixture onto the chilled plate and allowing it to sit for 30 seconds. Tilt the plate. The mixture should be a soft gel that moves slightly. If the mixture is thin and runs easily, it is not ready.
You’ll have much more marmalade than you need for the dessert, leftovers can be canned and used on toast orscones.