Candied Fig Hazelnut And Orange Cheesecake With Port Sauce Recipes

FIG-HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE WITH HONEY-BOURBON DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 285 degrees F (140 degrees C). Cover the bottom plate of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil and snap plate into the ring. Coat the sides of the pan with butter.
• Process vanilla cookies in a food processor to yield 2 cups of crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and add butter; use a fork to blend. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Top crust with 1/2 the figs and 1 cup hazelnuts.
• Place cream cheese in a large bowl and beat using an electric mixer on low speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl. Sift sugar and flour together in a bowl and add to the cream cheese mixture. Add sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and hazelnut liqueur, beating thoroughly. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix on low speed until yolks disappear. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes without opening the oven door. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside with door closed for 60 minutes more, allowing residual heat to set the cheesecake. Open oven door slightly at 1 hour and leave cheesecake in the cooling oven for another 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool at room temperature for 60 minutes more.
• Refrigerate cheesecake for 1 hour. Unhook pan clasp and slowly remove ring, making sure not to touch the sides of the cake. Place cheesecake in the freezer, covered or uncovered, 8 hours to overnight. Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving.
• Prepare the topping just before serving: Place honey in a microwave-safe bowl and heat slightly. Stir in bourbon. Arrange hazelnuts around edge and in the center of cheesecake. Drizzle honey-bourbon mixture on top.

CANDIED FIG, HAZELNUT AND ORANGE CHEESECAKE WITH PORT SAUCE

Steps:

• For figs and crust:
• Combine Port, figs and cloves in heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until figs soften, about 20 minutes. Cool. Discard cloves.
• For crust:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine vanilla wafers and hazelnuts in processor and grind finely. Add butter and process until moist crumbs form. Press crumbs onto bottom and halfway up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Freeze crust 20 minutes. Spread fig mixture onto bottom of crust.
• For filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Mix in liqueur, vanilla and peel. Spoon filling over fig mixture in crust. Gently shake pan to distribute filling.
• Bake cheesecake until filling is golden around the edges and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer to rack. Press down edges of cake to flatten if necessary. Maintain oven temperature.
• Combine sour cream and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in small bowl. Spread mixture evenly over top of cake. Return to oven and bake 10 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Run small sharp knife around sides of cheesecake. Cool. Refrigerate cake overnight. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• Release pan sides from cake; transfer cake to platter. Cut 5 slices from orange. Cut each slice in half. Cut each fig lengthwise into 5 slices. Arrange orange slices, cut side toward center, around top edge of cake. Place fig slice atop each orange slice. Place hazelnuts between orange slices. Serve with sauce.
• For port sauce:
• Stir Port and sugar in heavy small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil until mixture is reduced to 1 cup, about 13 minutes. Mix water and cornstarch in small bowl. Whisk into Port mixture and boil until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Cool. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)