Since my trip to Ireland well over a month ago, I’ve been on a goat cheese kick. Ireland doesn’t raise their farm animals in close quarters, and driving through the countryside, cows, sheep, and goats freely mill about, enjoying the lush green surroundings. I almost envy their simple lives, carefree yet purposeful. Dairy products are fresher and richer than what I typically get here in the States–or maybe it’s because I was on vacation in a foreign country that everything tasted better. Goat cheese can take a little getting used to at first, but now I almost crave it. Goat cheese is also easier to digest than its cow dairy counterparts, and is often lower in fat and higher in protein. This is my first time making cheesecake, and while I would hardly consider this goat cheese cake “healthy”, its lightness and creaminess leaves me feeling less porcine as some other rich cheesecakes. The goat cheese flavor is barely (if at all) discernible, and topped with strawberries macerated in Grand Marnier and basil leaves, the finished product is nothing short of marvelous.
{Strawberry and Basil Goat Cheese Cake}
Ingredients
-
- Crust
- 10 oz. graham crackers (about 20 whole graham crackers)
- 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
- 4 oz. unsalted butter, melted
Filling
-
- 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 oz. goat cheese, at room temperature
- 1 pint sour cream, at room temperature
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- juice and zest of one lemon
- 1/2 t. vanilla extract
Topping
- 6 oz. strawberries, stems removed and halved
- 1/4 cup sugar
- juice of two lemons
- 2 oz. Grand Marnier
- a few stems of fresh basil leaves
Preparation
-
- Preheat oven to 325F degrees. While preparing cheesecake, bring about six cups of water to a boil (this is for the water bath).
Crust
-
- Using a food processor, pulse together graham crackers, cinnamon and melted butter until finely ground and evenly mixed.
- Wrap outside of a 9″ springform pan in aluminum foil.
- Press mixture into the bottom of the pan firmly (I used the bottom of a juice glass), smoothing the crust. Chill until ready to bake.
Filling
-
- Also using a food processor, combing all filling ingredients and mix until combined and smooth.
- Pour filling into the springform pan, and place in the center of a roasting pan. Put the roasting pan in the oven, then carefully fill it with the boiling water till it reaches about 1-1/2″ up the side of the springform pan.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cheese cake is firm around the edges but slightly jiggly in the center.
- Allow the cake to cool for 45 minutes (do not remove the cake from the springform pan), then chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Topping
- Over medium heat, in a saucepan, cook the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and Grand Marnier until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid has thickened slightly. Remove the strawberries, and continue to heat the until the liquid is thicker like a syrup. Allow the topping to cool.
- When ready to serve, remove cheesecake from the pan, and top with the strawberry mixture and fresh basil leaves.
