Honey Ricotta Cheesecake

Photo: California Table Grape Commission

From: Rialto Restaurant, Cambridge, MA. Yield: 1 cheesecake.

½ pound cream cheese
4 oz. mascarpone
½ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup honey
2 large eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
½ cup crème fraiche

Harvest Grape and Red Wine Caramel:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 ½ cups red seedless grapes, whole
2 Tbsp. rosemary leaves
½ cup red wine

For cheesecake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush an 8” cake pan with oil and cover the bottoms and side with plastic film.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine cream cheese, mascarpone and ricotta until they are smooth and have no lumps.  Gradually add sugar and beat until mixture is creamy. Add honey and beat until incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add almond extract. Add crème fraiche and beat until just blended.  Strain mixture and sieve lumps of cheese.

Place mixture in the cake pan. Place pan in water bath and bake for 45 minutes. Cake is finished when it is no longer “jiggly.” To remove cake, gently lift the edge off the plastic film around the pan. Invert cake onto serving plate. The plastic will still be on the cake.  Gently lift plastic from the cake.  

For harvest grape and red wine caramel: Combine sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Without shaking the pan, let the sugar caramelize. Remove from heat. Stir in grapes and rosemary and wine.  Stir until smooth.  Strain the rosemary leaves from the sauce. Leave caramel and grapes to cool separately.