- 12
Ingredients
- Cream cheese 1 1/2 Lb
- Salt 1 tsp
- Granulated sugar 6 Oz
- Mexican vanilla beans, scraped 2 each
- Tahitian vanilla bean, scraped 1 each
- House-made ricotta 12 Oz
- Crème fraîche or sour cream 9 Oz
- Eggs 6 each
- Roasted figs as needed
Preparation
Step 1
1. Beat cream cheese, salt, sugar and vanilla seeds until smooth and light in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add ricotta and mix, leaving some small lumps of ricotta remaining. Add crème fraîche, and mix well. Add eggs, mixing just until combined.
2. Oil or butter bottom of a 10-inch cake pan (do not use a spring-form pan) or 12 individual 6-ounce ramekins, and line with parchment paper.
3. Pour batter into cake pan, or divide evenly among ramekins. Bake in a water bath covered with aluminum foil until center is set and slightly puffed, about 30 minutes for 12 individual cakes, 1 hour 15 minutes for a 10-inch cake.
4. Remove cake from water bath, and cool overnight. To unmold, run a paring knife around outside of cake, and heat bottom and sides of pan with a blowtorch, over a gas stove flame or by dipping it in hot water.
5. Invert cake onto serving platter, and remove parchment. Serve with fresh fruit.
HOUSE-MADE RICOTTA
Yield: 12 Oz
Half and half 1 qt
Salt 1 tsp
Whole milk 1 qt
Buttermilk 2 C
Pour half and half, salt and whole milk in a pan over low heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk in buttermilk, and allow mixture to boil gently until liquid is clear and dairy is completely curdled.
Remove pan from heat and allow cheese to cool to room temperature.
Carefully pour curds through a cheesecloth-lined colander or a fine mesh strainer placed over a bowl, and allow cheese to drain
overnight in refrigerator.
Reserve, chilled, in an airtight container.
ROASTED FIGS
Yield: 8 servings
Ripe mission figs, stems removed, halved 16 each
Ruby port 2 C
Vanilla bean, split 1 each
Orange zest, strip of 1 each
Cinnamon stick 1 each
Star anise 1 each
Cardamom pod 1 whole
Olive oil 3 TBS
Raw cane sugar 4 TBS
Sea salt, finely ground 1/2 tsp
Cold butter 3 Oz
Place oil in a sauté pan large enough to hold figs in a single layer.
Add figs, and sauté until well-browned on cut side. Turn figs, and add sugar, port, vanilla, orange zest and spices.
Cook over medium heat until liquid reduces by half and figs are just soft but not mushy, basting figs with liquid as they cook.
Remove pan from heat, and add salt and butter.
Swirl pan to incorporate butter and thicken sauce. Serve immediately.