I love making this recipe . . . it’s cheesecake for people who don’t usually like cheesecake.
TIME
2 hours
MAKES
10 individual 3-inch (7.5 cm) cheesecakes or 1 large 8-inch (20 cm) cake
EQUIPMENT
Silicone baking mat to fit the quarter baking tray (optional)
Ruler (optional)
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Ten 3-inch (7.5 cm) metal ring moulds
Whisk
Uncut piping bag
Ateco #805 plain piping tip (7⁄₁₆-inch/1.1 cm diameter)
Blowtorch
INGREDIENTS
Almond biscuit
Egg whites (large) 3 (90 grams)
Cooking oil spray (optional) as needed
Icing sugar ⅓ cup (45 grams)
Almond meal ½ cup (45 grams)
Whole egg (large) 1 (30 grams)
Egg yolk (large) 1 (20 grams)
Plain flour, sifted ⅓ cup (36 grams)
Granulated sugar 2½ tablespoons (33 grams)
Cheesecake mousse
Pouring cream (35% milk fat) ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (85 grams)
Gelatine sheet (160 bloom)* ½ each ½ each
Granulated sugar ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (80 grams)
Lemon juice 2 tablespoons (26 grams)
Whole-milk ricotta cheese 2¼ cups (528 grams)
Granulated sugar (to brûlée) as needed as needed
* If you can’t find gelatine sheets, use powdered gelatine. One gelatine sheet = 1 scant teaspoon (2.3 grams) powdered gelatine. For every teaspoon of gelatine, bloom in 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water.
METHOD
MAKE ALMOND BISCUIT
Place a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 380°F (195°C) for conventional or 355°F (180°C) for convection. Line a quarter baking tray with a silicone baking mat or baking paper.*
Combine the icing sugar, almond meal and whole egg in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Beat on low speed until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Turn the speed to high and mix for 1 minute more. The batter will become pale yellow and fluffy.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using the rubber spatula, fold in the egg yolk. When the yolk is completely incorporated, carefully fold in the plain flour. Overmixing the batter at this stage will result in a tough biscuit. Transfer the batter to a medium bowl.
Wash and dry the mixer bowl and whisk, making sure they are clean and free of any residue. Place the egg whites in the mixer bowl. Whip the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. With the mixer still on medium, slowly stream in one-third of the granulated sugar and continue to whip until the sugar is incorporated. Whip in the remaining sugar in two additions.±
With the rubber spatula, fold one-third of the meringue into the batter. Once incorporated, add the remaining meringue, folding gently to avoid deflating the batter. When finished, the batter will be cream-coloured, and you will see bubbles on its surface.
Pour the batter onto the middle of the quarter baking tray. Using the spatula, spread the batter to fill the pan. (If you are using a larger baking tray, spread it to fill the outline of the rectangle.) Overworking the batter at this point will result in a tough biscuit. Try to spread the batter as quickly and evenly as possible. When finished, the biscuit should be about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
Bake the biscuit on the centre rack for 5 minutes. Rotate the tray 180 degrees and bake for 5 minutes more. When finished, the biscuit will be light brown and will spring back when touched in the centre.
Let the biscuit, still on the baking paper, cool completely.
Invert onto another piece of baking paper and carefully peel off the original baking paper. Using a 3-inch (7.5 cm) ring mould as a guide, cut 10 circles of biscuit just slightly smaller than the ring mould. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until needed.
MAKE CHEESECAKE MOUSSE
Whisk the cream in a medium bowl until it doubles in volume and holds a stiff peak. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.§
Soak the gelatine sheet in a bowl of ice water until soft, about 20 minutes. If using powdered gelatine, sprinkle ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) gelatine over 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) water in a small bowl, stir, and let sit 20 minutes to bloom. Squeeze any excess water out of the gelatine sheet.**
Combine the sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat to fully dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the bloomed gelatine. Whisk until the gelatine is fully dissolved. Set the syrup aside, keeping it warm.
Gently whisk the ricotta in another medium bowl to break up any large lumps. Slowly whisk the warm lemon syrup into the ricotta until fully blended.
With the rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the ricotta so as not to deflate the cream. Fold in the remaining two-thirds of the whipped cream. When finished, the cheesecake mixture will have a uniform consistency similar to yoghsurt.
Cut the tip of a piping bag to snugly fit a #805 plain tip. Twist the bottom of the bag around the tip to prevent the cheesecake mousse from spilling out. Using a rubber spatula, place 2 large scoops of cheesecake mousse in the bag so that it is one-third full.
ASSEMBLE AND BRÛLÉE
Line the baking tray with baking paper. Place ten 3-inch (7.5 cm) ring moulds on the baking tray. Place a circle of almond biscuit in the centre of each mould. Holding the piping bag about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the centre of the almond biscuit, pipe in the cheesecake mousse to fill the mould. When it is filled to the top, slowly lift the piping bag away while still piping. This will help give the cheesecake a dome-like top. Repeat until all the moulds are filled. Freeze until completely solid, 2 to 3 hours.
Remove the cheesecakes from the freezer. Warm the moulds by rubbing your hands around the sides until the cheesecakes slide out. Put them all back in the freezer for a few minutes. Take only one or two out of the freezer at a time and place the unmoulded cheesecakes on a wire rack or a baking tray.±±
Sprinkle a thin, even layer of granulated sugar on top of a cheesecake. Holding the blowtorch about 1 inch (2.5 cm) away from the cake, caramelise the sugar with a focused, high flame (this is very similar to making crème brûlée). When the first layer of sugar is completely caramelised, sprinkle 2 teaspoons (10 g) more granulated sugar on the caramelised surface and brûlée again. Repeat this step one more time for a total of three layers. Repeat with the remaining cheesecakes.‡‡
When all the cheesecakes have been brûléed, place them in the refrigerator to thaw completely, 2 to 3 hours.
Serving Instructions Serve directly from the refrigerator.
Storage Instructions: the cheesecakes should be consumed within 24 hours of thawing
DOMINIQUE ANSEL RECIPES
Secret Recipes from the World Famous New York Bakery by Dominique Ansel (Murdoch Books £20). Photography: Thomas Schauer
