Cheese might not be the first thing that comes to mind if you’re looking for a satisfying, easy, elegant way to end your meal, but it makes for a fabulous dessert. Europeans have long served dessert cheese, either after the salad or after the main course.
While a sweet cheesecake can be a thing of great joy and incredibly versatile; there are various regional styles, easy no-bake versions for when you don’t want to turn on the oven, and many ways to make it suited to all seasons by switching up the flavor. But there’s a whole other avenue to explore too: savory cheesecakes, a great appetizer option for any party, or even weekday dinner for your family. If it sounds a little weird, think of it like a cheesier, less eggy version of quiche.
As with sweet cheesecakes, there are both baked and no-bake versions of savory cheesecake, some with crusts and some without, but crusted and baked seems to be the most prevalent sort, and the vast majority of those follow a similar formula.
Brion & I have never been much for ‘blue cheese’ but when it comes to Gorgonzola, that’s a whole different story. Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese produced in Northern Italy. It’s creamy and crumbly and has streaks of blue mold that give it a strong, piquant flavor. This savory Gorgonzola cheesecake could be served as a cheese or dessert course with fresh fruit to end a nice summer evening meal. A simple recipe with a taste that lingers long in the memory.
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- 130 gm hemp heart granola
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 2 cups fresh peaches, peeled, pitted & cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup water
- 1-2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar
- 227 gm cream cheese, softened
- 125 gm Gorgonzola, crumbled, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
- 1/8 tsp EACH salt & pepper
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Ingredients
Hemp Heart Granola Base
Peach Topping
Cheesecake
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- Line 2 - 5-inch springform pans with parchment paper. Place granola in a food processor; process until fine crumbs form.
- In a bowl, mix crumbs & melted butter until well combined. Divide crumb mixture between the two lined pans; press into the bottom to form the crust. Set aside.
- Add peaches to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; stir in lemon juice, water & cornstarch. Bring mixture to a rolling boil. Stir in sugar. Return to a gentle boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until peaches thicken slightly. Remove from heat & cool completely. This can be prepared after you bake the cheesecake if you wish.
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese & Gorgonzola in a bowl until light & fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add sour cream, honey, salt & pepper; beat until blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Divide cheesecake batter, pouring over the granola base in each of the springform pans.
- Bake for 1 hour & 20 minutes or until set & lightly browned.
- Remove cheesecake from oven & cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Spoon peach topping over cheesecake, slice & serve.
- If you wish to make one 9-inch cheesecake, double ingredients but only use 3 large eggs. You should have enough peach topping for a 9-inch without having to double that recipe.
- For this recipe I chose not to prebake the hemp heart base but If you wish to do so there is no problem in with that.