Goat Cheese Mascarpone Cheesecake with Crispy Maple Flakes and Strawberry Salad

From: Cynthia Wong, Cakes and Ale, Decatur, GA. Yield: 12 servings.

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

15 oz. fresh goat cheese

3 egg yolks

7½ oz. mascarpone cheese

1½ cups maple flakes (pure maple syrup dehydrated into flakes, commercially available)

3 pints fresh strawberries

¼ cup granulated sugar

Make sure all ingredients are room temperature. Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray an 8" springform pan and line with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit the bottom. Line the pan with parchment circle and spray the parchment. Wrap the pan in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together until no lumps of cornstarch remain. Combine the goat cheese and sugar-cornstarch mixture. Mix well. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing until combined. Mix in the mascarpone.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan in a shallow roasting dish or baking pan, and fill with hot water to reach 1½" up the sides of springform pan.

Bake cake about 40 minutes until set. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath. Once the cheesecake is room temperature, remove cake from water bath and refrigerate until completely cold.

Remove sides of pan. Slice cheesecake into 12 portions. Hull and slice strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar and set aside to macerate lightly.

Place ⅓ of maple flakes onto a shallow plate. Working with one piece of cheesecake at a time, place pieces onto the flake-lined plate and carefully pat the flakes onto the sides and top of cheesecake. Repeat with additional pieces of cheececake, adding more maple flakes as needed. Transfer to individual dessert plates and serve with strawberry salad.
GREEN OLIVE MEDIA