Braiden Rex-Johnson's Valentine's Treat: A Savory Blue Cheesecake
A box of chocolates and a bottle of expensive red wine is a classic Valentine’s Day pairing. Yet I’ve never understood quite why. Milk chocolate contains a lot of dairy products (cream), which can coat your palate...never a good thing when trying to appreciate a quality wine. Meanwhile, dark chocolate is tannic and often a bit bitter. Red wine also contains tannins. So when you take a bite of chocolate and follow it with a sip of red wine, the tannins collide and clash, creating a veritable train wreck in your mouth.
So this Valentine’s Day, I urge you to think outside the box (of chocolates) and make a special treat for your sweetie. Blue Cheesecake comes from my seventh book, Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining (Wiley, 2007). You can serve this lusty cheesecake as a rustic appetizer with crostini and crackers (shareable finger food--yum!). But I like slicing it into narrow wedges to form a savory dessert or cheese course. Drizzle with honey (the perfect prelude to Valentine’s Day “activities”) or accompany with sensuous seasonal fruits such as figs, pears, or raspberries.
Perhaps the best news for wine lovers is that Blue Cheesecake pairs well with pretty much any type of wine, be it red (such as Syrah or Zinfandel), white (think Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier), Sherry (from Fino to Amontillado), Port (either Tawny or Ruby), or stickies (Late-Harvest or Ice Wine).
Blue Cheesecake
From Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining
Serves 12 to 16
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup medium-grind cornmeal
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon dried basil, crumbled (optional)
1-1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, crumbled
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound Oregon Blue Vein, Oregonzola, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, or other high-quality blue cheese, cut into chunks, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 head garlic, cloves separated and roasted (See Cook’s Hint, below)
1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, pine nuts, or almonds, toasted
Crostini or crackers, for serving, optional
Directions:
1. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly stir in the cornmeal, stirring in one direction to avoid lumps, then add the garlic, basil (if using), herbes de Provence, and salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until smooth and creamy, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary so the polenta doesn’t overcook or bubble up and splatter, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. While the polenta is cooking, place the cream cheese and blue cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time and mix by hand (if you are very strong!) or beat with an electric mixer until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.
3. Arrange the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
4. When the polenta is done, remove it from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Let cool for 5 minutes. With a rubber spatula, press the polenta into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and set aside.
5. Pour the reserved cheese filling evenly over the polenta crust. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins and arrange them around the perimeter of the pan at equal distances. Sprinkle the hazelnuts evenly in the center of the cheesecake.
6. Place the cheesecake on a baking sheet to catch any drips, transfer to the oven, and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake springs back when lightly jiggled and the internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 degrees F. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.
7. To serve, release and remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake warm or at room temperature, cut into slices as an appetizer or spread onto crostini or crackers for a more rustic look. The cheesecake can be covered and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (its flavors meld and deepen the longer it sits). If serving from the refrigerator, slice and warm it in a 350 degree F oven or microwave briefly before serving.
Cook’s Hint: To roast individual cloves of garlic, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove as much skin as possible from each clove, place in a small baking dish without crowding (a pie plate also works well for this), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until the garlic is very tender and easily squeezed from the skin, 35 minutes.
Photo of Braiden by Ingrid Pape-Sheldon
Blue Cheesecake photo by Jackie Johnston at Wine Country Creations.
valentine gift philippines on January 24, 2010 at 08:52 PM
Thank you for sharing this ingredients,its gonna be a perfect treat for this coming valentines. :)
vee
send gift Philippines on February 16, 2010 at 11:28 PM
I will try doing this and ill give this for my love one. Great post!
zaijan
Send Flowers to France on July 14, 2010 at 04:25 AM
Nice idea! I never try to make a flower tissue before, Anyway, thanks for sharing this post. I've got an idea.