Tastes of Spring: Chevre Cheesecake with Rhubarb Compote

March 21, 2014

True signs of spring are the tastes that are abundant during this time of the year. Goat's are giving milk, rhubarb and strawberries are growing like mad in the gardens, and everyone is ready for a flavor that they haven't had all winter. Enjoy this beautiful chevre cheesecake with rhubarb compote.

Chevre Cheesecake with Rhubarb Compote

8 ounces fresh goat cheese, room temperature

11 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

12 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

Half a vanilla bean, slit open, seeds scraped into the sugar

1 1/2 pounds trimmed rhubarb, chopped into one inch chunks

1 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon rose water

a pinch of salt

1/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Instructions

To make the cheesecake, preheat oven to 325F. Beat togethercream cheese, goat cheese, sugar and vanilla seeds using a mixer with paddle attachment on a low speed. Add mascarpone, and beatuntil just smooth. Add the eggs and mix in until just incorporated - you don't want to see any traces of egg, but be careful to not overbeat at this stage as it can result in a dry, tough texture.

Fill the mason jars with the mixture, being careful to not overfill, as the cheesecakes may puff up a little during cooking. Place jars in a roasting pan or 9x13 baking pan. Fill pan with water so it reaches two thirds up the sides of the jars. Cover the pan loosely with foil, poke a couple of ventilation holes in the foil, and transfer pan to the oven VERY carefully so no water is spilled into the jars.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cakes are set around the edges but still quite jiggly in the middle. Lift foil once during cooking to release steam, and then recover the pan. Cheesecakes - which are really baked custards - are notoriously susceptible to overbaking, so you should remain vigilant as cooking time increases, and bear in mind that the cheesecakes will look underdone when they leave the oven, and that cooking time for this dish can vary quite dramatically between ovens.

Transfer the jars to a wire rack to cool, then refrigerate.

To make the compote, preheat oven to 350F. In an ovenproof dishor small casserole, toss rhubarb, rose water, sugar and salt together. Bake for about 30 minutes or until fruit is completely soft, and breaks up when mashed with a fork. Transfer to a glass dish and chill.

To make the candied pistachios, preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly oil a baking sheet and carefully toss the pistachios with the maple syrup until well coated. Spread the pistachios in a single layer and bake for 3 minutes, or until the pistachios look shiny but not darkened. Leave to cool completely on tray, then roughly chop the nuts.

To assemble, spoon the cold compote onto the chilled cheesecake pots. Sprinkle each with a little of the chopped caramelized pistachios, and serve with a crunchy wedge of toasted pistachio shortbread (made without the chocolate coating). Enjoy!

Note: The rhubarb compote is fantastically easy to whip up and is absolutely divine on anything from greek yogurt to mascarpone ice cream , maybe topped with some quick streusel topping or crushed biscotti.