Beyond Sweet and Savory

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cheesecake

Strawberry Basil Cheesecake

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Strawberry is my all time favorite summer fruit. I’m not talking about the typical big, flavorless strawberries that you find at the supermarkets but the wild French strawberries, known by their romantic name, Fraises des Bois. My husband’s aunt first introduced me to these strawberries when we visited her in Seattle many summers ago. They grew wild in her garden and seemed to thrive in the Pacific Northwest climate. These strawberries are tiny and delicate but exquisitely sweet. Ever since, I look for them around June to July at the farmers market. I usually eat them fresh or use them in one of my favorite desserts, strawberry and basil cheesecake. 

The best thing about this cheesecake is how little work you put in for the delicious result that awaits you. The texture is light, almost like a mousse and the addition of the basil leaves creates a tsunami of flavor.

As much as I love a peach cobbler, plum galette, or apricot crumble, this cheesecake is hands down one of my favorite summer desserts. Near the end of strawberry season, I will make an extra cheesecake and keep it in the freezer for up to two months for when the craving hits hard. 


Strawberry and Basil Cheesecake
1 pint of strawberries, hulled and cut in half
2 tbsps of powdered sugar
½ cup of granulated sugar
2 tsps gelatin, unflavored
2 tbsps of water
⅓ cup of milk
⅓ cup of heavy cream
4 oz of cream cheese
4 oz of mascarpone cheese
¼ cup of sour cream
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp micro basil leaves

Cheesecake Crust
1 cup Graham crackers, grounded
¼ cup of granulated sugar
4 tbsps butter, melted

Basil infused strawberries
1 pint of strawberries, hulled and halved if too big
1 tbsp of water
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsps strawberry jam
1 tbsp lemon juice
8 large basil leaves, about ¼ cup

1. Add 1 pint of strawberries with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and let macerate for 15 minutes. Process the macerated strawberries in a food processor until smooth.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of water on low heat. Add the gelatin and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the gelatin is dissolved.
3. Add the milk, heavy cream, cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, sour cream and granulated sugar to the saucepan and whisk on low heat until smooth.
4. Remove the mixture from heat and add the strawberry puree and lemon zest. Puree the mixture with a hand-held blender and strain with a sieve to ensure a smooth texture. Let it cool completely.
5. In a large bowl, combine the grounded Graham crackers, sugar, and butter and stir until well blended. The mixture should stick together when squeezed firmly in your hand.
6. Transfer the Graham-cracker mixture to a 8-inch springform pan and press the mixture firmly onto the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until golden brown at 350 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
7. Pour the chilled filling into the crust and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
8. To make the basil infused strawberries, stir water, sugar, strawberry jam, lemon juice, and basil leaves in a small saucepan over low heat until the jam melts. Bring the mixture to a boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in the strawberries. Discard the basil leaves.
9. When ready to serve, unmold the cheesecake, top with the basil infused strawberries, and scatter the micro basil leaves on top.

 

Passion Fruit Cheesecake

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This passion fruit cheesecake has a wonderful texture with a tropical fragrant that makes an easy, elegant summer dessert.

Cheesecake.  Oh how I miss you!  It has been years since my last attempt at baking one.  The cheesecake landed in the trash and I got a nasty burn on my arm while removing it from the oven.  Since then, I stayed away from cheesecake.  Well… Until a few weeks ago!  I finally found what I was looking for.  A recipe for passion fruit cheesecake!  

My first try turned out quite tasty and garnered compliments from my colleagues at work.  But, I was not satisfied and decided to muck around with the recipe.  I substituted the mascarpone cheese for all of the cream cheese and it turned out too much like a mousse.  The consistency was all wrong!  
 
So I mucked around some more.  Version 3 resulted in my idea of a perfect cheesecake hence the name for this post.  I could not contain my excitement as I removed it from the springform pan.  The passion fruit pulp gave the cheesecake a beautiful pastel yellow color.  Tasting time! Light. Creamy. Almost like a cloud!   Crunch! Oh wait!  I had forgotten that I used all of the passion fruit pulp including the seeds leaving nothing wasted.  They added a nice texture.  A little surprise for your bite!  If you prefer your cheesecake smooth, make sure you strain the passion fruit pulp.   
 
The unique flavor of passion fruit shined through.  Passion fruit is very fragrant and blessed with a hint of floral, citrus, and a lightly sweet flavor.  The more I work with passion fruit, the more I fall in love with it.  I was in cheesecake heaven.  Forget about those cheesecakes at Cheesecake Factory and make your own.  Better yet, experience a passion fruit cheesecake!  

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #beyondsweetandsavory on Instagram.  We truly appreciate your feedback and incorporate them to continually improve our recipes.

4.62 from 13 votes
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Passion fruit cheesecake (adapted from Domain Chandon Cookbook)
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Chilling time
8 hrs
Total Time
1 hr 55 mins
 

This passion fruit cheesecake has a wonderful texture with a tropical fragrant that makes an easy, elegant summer dessert.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baking, Cheesecake, dessert, Passion fruit
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup Graham crackers crumb
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsps unsalted butter
Filling
  • 8 ounces low fat cream cheese
  • 8 ounces mascarpone
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 3/4 cup passion fruit pulp
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
Top
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Passion fruit syrup
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup passion fruit pulp
Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, and butter and stir until well blended. The mixture should stick together when squeezed firmly in your hand.

  3. Transfer the Graham-cracker mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press the mixture firmly onto the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool.

  4. For the filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until thick and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue mixing until the mixture is well blended.

  5. Add the passion fruit pulp and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and beat for another 5 minutes.

  6. Pour the filling into the spring-form pan and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. It might still jiggle a bit. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

  7. For the topping, combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture becomes creamy. Pour the sour cream mixture on top of the filling and bake until the top is firm but still soft to the touch, about 15 minutes. 

  8. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator and chill overnight.

  9. For the syrup, place the sugar, water, and passion fruit pulp in a saucepan over low-medium heat and boil until the mixture volume is halved or until syrupy, about 20 minutes. 

  10. To serve, run the edge of a warm knife along the inside edges of the springform pan. Remove the cheesecake and top with passion fruit syrup.

Recipe Notes

If you want a smooth texture, strain the passion fruit pulp before using.