Crème Fraîche Cheesecake With Honey Rum Roasted Pineapple Recipes

CREME FRAICHE CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• To make the crust: In a food processor grind the walnuts and sugar together. Stir in the melted butter, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 4 days. Using your fingers pack 1 1/2 teaspoons of mixture into small rings or collars 1 1/2 inches in diameter by 2 inches high. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool slightly before adding filling.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
• To make the filling: In an electric mixer, with a whip attachment cream the cream cheese. Mix in the remaining ingredients in order. Pour into baked crust lined collars filling to about 3/8 inch from the top. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until slightly puffed and barely shimmying in the center. Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes if puffed to make room for the creme fraiche topping.
• To make the topping: Blend all ingredients and place 1 tablespoon on top of the each mini cheesecake. With a small off-set spatula or a teaspoon, ease the topping to coat evenly. It will level itself out during baking. Bake at 300 degrees F for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, warm the rings and slip the cheesecakes out of them.

CREME FRAICHE CHEESECAKE WITH HONEY-RUM-ROASTED PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• CRUST:
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Blend all ingredients in bowl.
• Press mixture over bottom of 9 inch-diameter springform pan with 2&3/4-inch sides.
• Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F
• FILLING:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy.
• Gradually beat in sugar.
• Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and blend 1 minute.
• Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
• Mix in crème fraîche.
• Transfer filling to crust.
• Place cheesecake in roasting pan.
• Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan.
• Bake cake until top is dry-looking and slightly puffed, about 1 hour.
• Turn off oven. Let cake cool in closed oven 1 hour.
• Remove from water bath.
• Refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 6 hours.
• (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.).
• TOPPING:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place pineapple rings on large rimmed baking sheet.
• Boil remaining ingredients in small saucepan 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour syrup over pineapple.
• Roast pineapple 12 minutes.
• Turn rings over; roast until tender and syrup thickens, turning rings every 5 minutes, about 20 minutes longer.
• Cool pineapple on sheet.
• Cut into 1/3-inch cubes; transfer pineapple and syrup to bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.).
• Drain pineapple, reserving syrup.
• Cover top of cheesecake with some pineapple; stir remainder back into syrup. Serve cake, passing remaining pineapple in syrup separately.