Pepper and raspberries go well together to make a sweet and spicy pairing. I thought taking Beechers’ Marco Polo Cheese which has green and black peppercorns from Madagascar and fresh raspberries would make a sweet, spicy and savory cheese cake…
Crust:
Ingredients:
12 Just Desserts Fudge Brownie Bites, crushed in food processor
2 ½ Tablespoons Unsalted Tillamook Butter, melted
Butter to grease pan.
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Cover the outside of a 9” springform pan with foil (to avoid water bath leaks). Wipe some butter around the bottom of the pan.
Pulverize the brownie bites in a food processor. Mix the crushed brownies with melted butter and press mixture into bottom of springform pan and up the sides a bit.
Bake 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow cooling to room temperature.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
Cheese Cake:
Ingredients:
2 Cups sugar
1 Pound Beechers Marco Polo Cheese, Room temperature, shredded
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 lemon, zested
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons flour
5 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1/2 cup sour cream
2 small cartons fresh raspberries
Preparations:
Combine cream cheese, Marco Polo cheese, sugar, zest, and vanilla in a food processor and process until light and creamy. Transfer to a Mixmaster and use paddle. (You can continue to use food processor if large enough – mine isn’t.)
Add the flour; add eggs and yolks 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add sour cream and mix until incorporated well.
Gently fold in fresh raspberries.
Butter inside of pan above the crust.
Pour mixture into prepared and foil-wrapped pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165°. You may need to tent cake to avoid over-browning of the top.
Transfer cake to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Refrigerate cake overnight before serving.
Serve with raspberry sauce.
Sauce:
Ingredients:
2 pints fresh raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 Airline Size bottle of Frangelico
Few drops lemon juice
Preparation:
Combine raspberries, sugar, water, and orange zest and cook until berries are soft and liquid is syrupy, about 10 minutes.
Cool slightly.
Puree in a blender.
Strain through a fine sieve, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate, covered, until completely chilled.
Stir in Frangelico and lemon juice.
Top Chilled Cheesecake with 2 more cartons of fresh raspberries.
Drizzle top and each slice with raspberry Sauce.
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