Swimsuit season is coming up.
This has nothing to do with that.
“Just use your finger.”
“Why are you-”
“Seriously, just touch it.”
Sarah gave the top of the cheesecake a tentative stroke. “Oooooh. It’s so silky!”
“I know!”
“Why is it so silky?”
“Mmm, if I had to guess…” I trailed off, entranced by the surreal smoothness. “It’s probably the two pounds of cheese.”
She leaned against the counter and swirled her finger across the top. “Aren’t we supposed to be dieting?”
“Everyone’s always dieting, but they still have to restock Cheetos at the grocery store every night.”
“So that means we should just give up?”
“Maybe. Sticking to goals is hard.”
She gave me a look. “But if you don’t plan on actually doing it, then why bother making the goal in the first place?”
“Now, now. Like everyone else, I’m just a slave to my own desires. We’re all sensation seekers in the end.”
“You don’t think will power can be stronger than that?”
“No. We’re petting a cheesecake.”
“Yeah…”
Stone Fruit Triple-Cheesecake
This is completely worth indulging in. The cake itself is savory, cheesy, and creamy, borrowing sweetness from the fruit and honey (it’s more like a “snack” than a dessert, strictly speaking). It ends up tasting like the perfect hors d’oeuvres, the impossible one that you can’t build because it won’t fit on a single cracker, and then when you finally get it the way you want it it’s too big to fit in your mouth. That elusive perfect bite can now be yours.
And if you’re worried about calories, just eat it on February 29th and pretend it doesn’t count.
For the the Crust:
- 2 packages of rice crackers (to make 2 cups of crumbs)
- 2 tsp. rosemary
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 – 1.5 sticks of butter, melted.
How to Make It:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Pulse rice crackers in a blender, smash with a rolling pin, or pulverize with your least favorite body part – whatever works to turn it into fine crumbs. Then simply mix all the ingredients together until the crumbs stick together when pressed – start with 8 tbsp. of butter and add more if necessary. It should hold together with pressure, but still have a crumbly quality to it.
Press the crust evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan – it’ll be pretty thick. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool.
Ingredients for the Filling:
- 10.5 oz. goat cheese, room temperature
- (2) 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 8 oz. brie, skinned and melted
- 4 eggs
- About 1.5 cups of dried fruit
- We used dried persimmons, but any dried fruit will work.
How to Make It:
- With a hand mixer, combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream in a large bowl.
- Melt the brie in the microwave and immediately mix it into the rest of the cheese.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing as little as possible after each addition (eggs hold air in a cheesecake, which can cause cracks. Of course, we’re topping ours with fruit, so if you’re feeling angry today, mix away.)
- Pour half of the batter into the crust, gently layer the dried fruit on top, then add the rest of the filling.
- Place on top of an edged baking pan, loosely tent some foil on top to prevent over-browning, and bake for 60 to 75 minutes until set.
- Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
Note: “Set” here means that the edges should be fairly firm, and the center should still jiggle without being liquid-y. Also, although cheesecakes are normally baked in a water bath, we chose not to do that for two reasons: (1) the browned crust adds a bit of roasted cheese flavor to the whole thing, and (2) it’s probably going to leak a lot of fat – that’s why it’s baked on an edged pan. Wrapping it in airtight foil will leave that fat to pool in places you don’t want it.
Now, on to the toppings!
For the Candied Pecans:
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. butter
We used this method for its simplicity and great results. Just put all the ingredients in a pan and stir constantly until the butter and sugar are melted and the pecans are coated. Then lay them out on a piece of parchment paper to let dry.
For the Fruit Glaze:
- Apple jelly
- Fruit of your choice.
- We used about 1 pound of cherries, pitted, and 4 thinly sliced plums.
Yep. Just one ingredient. We went super lazy with this one – but it works, and it tastes a whole lot better than cornstarch glaze.
To use it, simply melt the jelly (any jelly – not jam or preserves – will work) for about 20 – 30 seconds in the microwave. Brush onto the fruit (or if you don’t have a pastry brush, you can roll the fruit in it), and wah lah! Shiny, perfect fruit.
Now top your chilled cheesecake with fruit, nuts, and unreasonable amounts of honey, and enjoy!
Master List of Ingredients:
For the the Crust:
- 2 packages of rice crackers (to make 2 cups of crumbs)
- 2 tsp. rosemary
- 3/4 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 – 1.5 sticks of butter, melted.
For the Filling:
- 10.5 oz. goat cheese, room temperature
- (2) 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 8 oz. brie, skinned and melted
- 4 eggs
- About 1.5 cups of dried fruit
- We used dried persimmons, but any dried fruit will work.
For the Candied Pecans:
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. butter
For the Fruit Glaze:
- Apple jelly
- Fruit of your choice.
- We used about 1 pound of cherries, pitted, and 4 thinly sliced plums
And copious amounts of honey!
Step-by-Steps:
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Pulse rice crackers in a blender, smash with a rolling pin, or pulverize with your least favorite body part – whatever works to turn it into fine crumbs.
- Then simply mix all the ingredients together until the crumbs stick together when pressed – start with 8 tbsp. of butter and add more if necessary. It should hold together with pressure, but still have a crumbly quality to it.
- Press the crust evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan – it’ll be pretty thick. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool.
For the Filling:
- With a hand mixer, combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream in a large bowl.
- Melt the brie in the microwave and immediately mix it into the rest of the cheese.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing as little as possible after each addition (eggs hold air in a cheesecake, which can cause cracks. Of course, we’re topping ours with fruit, so if you’re feeling angry today, mix away.)
- Pour half of the batter into the crust, gently layer the dried fruit on top, then add the rest of the filling.
- Place on top of an edged baking pan, loosely tent some foil on top to prevent over-browning, and bake for 60 to 75 minutes until set.
- Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
Note: “Set” here means that the edges should be fairly firm, and the center should still jiggle without being liquid-y. Also, although cheesecakes are normally baked in a water bath, we chose not to do that for two reasons: (1) the browned crust adds a bit of roasted cheese flavor to the whole thing, and (2) it’s probably going to leak a lot of fat – that’s why it’s baked on an edged pan. Wrapping it in airtight foil will leave that fat to pool in places you don’t want it.
For the Candied Pecans:
We used this method for its simplicity and great results. Just put all the ingredients in a pan and stir constantly until the butter and sugar are melted and the pecans are coated. Then lay them out on a piece of parchment paper to let dry.
For the Fruit Glaze:
Simply melt the jelly (any jelly – not jam or preserves – will work) for about 20 – 30 seconds in the microwave. Brush onto the fruit (or if you don’t have a pastry brush, you can roll the fruit in it), and wah lah! Shiny, perfect fruit.
Now top your chilled cheesecake with fruit, nuts, and unreasonable amounts of honey, and enjoy!
Put It in Your Mouth 