Baked Sunday Mornings

a sweet journey through baked: frontiers | explorations | elements | occasions

  • Join
  • The Rules
  • Recipe Schedule
  • About
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Baked Elements / In the Oven: Orange Almond Ricotta Cheesecake

In the Oven: Orange Almond Ricotta Cheesecake

September 2, 2013 by susan

Next up is: Orange Almond Ricotta Cheesecake
The posting date is: Sunday, September 15th

Yield: One 9-inch cheesecake

For the Almond Graham Cracker Crust
1/2 cup sliced, blanched almonds, toasted (page 19)

3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 42 whole graham crackers)
3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 ounces (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

For the Ricotta Filling
2 pounds good-quality ricotta, drained (see “How to Drain Fresh Ricotta,” page 152)
4 large eggs, separated, plus 1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons amaretto
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
Zest of 1 orange (about 1 tablespoon)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Make the Almond Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a high sided 9-inch tart pan (2 1/2 to 3 inches tall) with removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and lightly spray the parchment.

In a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are finely chopped (do not worry if you have a few large, coarse pieces). Place the almonds in a medium bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs and the brown sugar and stir until combined. Pour the butter over the crumbs and use a fork to blend the mixture until uniform. Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared tart pan and press it into the bottom and up the sides. Use the bottom of a large measuring cup or drinking glass to help you create a firm, even crust.

Bake the crust until it is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. If it begins to puff while baking, use the back of the spoon to press it gently down. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the oven on.

Make the Ricotta Filling
In a food processor, pulse the ricotta in short bursts until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the 5 egg yolks, sugar, flour, amaretto, almond extract, and orange zest. Pulse in short bursts until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor bowl and pulse again until mixture is lump free. Turn out the mixture into a large bowl.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and the salt until stiff peaks form (do not whip past the stiff peak stage or the whites will become dry and unusable).

Fold one-third of the egg white mixture into the ricotta mixture until incorporated. Add half of the remaining egg whites and gently fold until almost incorporated, then fold in the remaining egg whites.

Pour the ricotta mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Using an instant read thermometer, take the internal temperature of the center of the cheesecake; when done, it should read 150 degrees F. (If you want to eyeball for doneness—a sometimes difficult task—look for a firm outer ring and a center that is slightly moist and wobbly when shaken.) Do not be alarmed if the cheesecake soufflés up and then falls—this is normal. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 4 to 6 hours.

Serve the cheesecake
To serve, gently push up on the tart bottom to release the cheesecake from the pan. Top with a dusting of sifted powdered sugar or sliced almonds.

Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Filed Under: Baked Elements, In the Oven Tagged With: cake, cheese, elements

« Roundup: Mile-High Chocolate Cake With Vanilla Buttercream
Leave Your Links: Orange Almond Ricotta Cheesecake »

Comments

  1. Sheri says

    September 3, 2013 at 7:26 am

    I’ve made this several times already, and it’s delicious! I’m partial to using sheep’s milk ricotta but it’s great with either.

    • Dafna says

      September 10, 2013 at 11:43 pm

      Where did you get sheep’s milk ricotta? I couldn’t find it at Whole Foods and went with cow’s milk instead…

      • Sheri says

        September 11, 2013 at 6:03 am

        Whole Foods Cupertino is usually the only place I can find it (Bellwether Farms) but it’s hit and miss – and they didn’t have it this time. So I went with a fresh cow’s milk instead too.

        • Dafna says

          September 12, 2013 at 7:26 pm

          I did Bellwether Farms too– sooo yummy. I will check A.G. Ferrari for sheep’s milk next time, and Draeger’s…

  2. Sheri says

    September 7, 2013 at 1:43 pm

    One more note – 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs does NOT require 42 whole graham crackers (more like 16-18)! Who the heck tested this thing??

    Oh. Me. :)

    • Dafna says

      September 10, 2013 at 11:45 pm

      I was wondering about that quantity too! Also, some of the directions in the book are a little different than here…

      • Sheri says

        September 11, 2013 at 6:04 am

        The book is always the standard – sometimes our doc from the publisher doesn’t include last-minute changes that went into the book.

      • Susan says

        September 11, 2013 at 4:02 pm

        Sorry, Dafna – I thought I checked more closely than that! Hopefully, you’re following the book. Making mine tonight.

        • Dafna says

          September 12, 2013 at 7:28 pm

          No worries at all! Yes, I always use the book anyway. I don’t think there was anything drastically different, just a few minor things. :)

  3. Mark ~ Neufangled Desserts says

    September 8, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    Anyone else using just regular store-bought ricotta for this? I already went and bought two pounds, then came home and read Matt’s note in the book saying this recipe is best using fresh. :-( I know that the fresh ricotta I priced around here was super-expensive – honestly, I can’t afford to buy fancy-dancy ingredients. Just hoping I’m not alone with this one.

  4. Susan says

    September 8, 2013 at 4:38 pm

    Mark, I’m using store-bought, too.

  5. Chelly says

    September 10, 2013 at 6:31 pm

    I am going to try to make my ricotta….it looks easy, quick and inexpensive!

  6. Liz says

    September 13, 2013 at 8:42 am

    I made this last weekend with regular whole milk ricotta from Trader Joes-it came out really well I don’t usually like cheesecake, but ricotta instead of cream cheese is amazing.

Search

Bakers

Posts, by type

Archives

Tags

almonds banana bars booze bread breakfast brownies Bundt cake candy caramel cheese cheesecake cherries chocolate cinnamon citrus coconut coffee cookies corn crisp cupcakes drink drinks elements explorations fruit hooch ice cream lemon malt muffins new frontiers nuts occasions pancakes peanut butter pie pudding pumpkin scones strawberries tart whoopie pies

Admin

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress