Pesto Swirled Cheesecake Recipes

CHEESE & PESTO WHIRLS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and 1½ tsp fine salt in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a tabletop mixer. Measure out 300ml warm water and add roughly 280ml to the flour, along with the olive oil, and start mixing until the ingredients start to clump together as a dough. If the dough seems a little dry, add the remaining water. Once combined, knead for 10 mins by hand on your work surface, or for 5 mins on a medium speed in a mixer. The dough is ready when it feels soft, springy and elastic. Clean the bowl, drizzle in a little oil, then pop the dough back in, turning it over and coating the sides of the bowl in oil. Cover with some oiled cling film and set aside in a warm place to double in size - this will take 1-3 hrs, depending on the temperature.
• Line a baking tray with parchment. Uncover the dough and punch it down a couple of times with your fist, knocking out all the air bubbles. Tip out onto a floured work surface and dust the top with a little flour too, if it is sticky. Roll the dough out to a rectangle, roughly 40 x 30cm. Spread the pesto over the dough, then scatter over the tomatoes, both cheeses and the basil. Roll the dough up from one of the longer sides, into a long sausage.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 even pieces. Place on the baking tray, cut-side up, in a 3-by-4 formation, making sure the open end of each roll is tucked in towards the centre on the arrangement - this will prevent them from uncoiling during cooking. Leave a little space between each roll as they will grow and touch as they prove. Loosely cover with oiled cling film and leave to prove for 30 mins-1 hr until almost doubled in size again. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Uncover the bread when it is puffed up. Bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 35-40 mins until golden brown and the centre looks dry and not doughy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 10 mins.

PESTO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Butter spring form pan, coat with breadcrumbs--set aside.
• Beat cream cheese, ricotta and Romano cheese with electric mixer.
• Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
• Seperate batter in half--add pesto to one half and sundried tomatoes to the other half.
• Layer in spring pan.
• Sprinkle pignoli nuts on top Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
• Cool in pan.
• Cover and wrap in plastic.
• Refrigerate 8 hours or overnite.
• Slide knife around edge of pan and remove to serve.

SAVORY MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO

Steps:

• Make the crust:
• In a bowl blend together the cracker crumbs, the walnuts, the butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a buttered 10-inch springform pan and bake the crust in the middle of a preheated 325°F. oven for 10 minutes.
• Make the pesto:
• In a food processor purée the basil, the sun-dried tomatoes with the reserved oil, the garlic, the Parmesan, the pine nuts, salt and pepper to taste until the mixture is smooth.
• Make the filling:
• In the bowl of an electric mixer blend together the mascarpone, the cream cheese, the eggs, and the flour until the mixture is very smooth.
• Pour half the filling into the crust, spoon the pesto over it, spreading the pesto carefully with the back of a spoon, and spread the remaining filling over the pesto. Bake the cheesecake in the middle of a preheated 325°F. oven for 1 hour.
• In a bowl blend together the sour cream and the flour, spread the sour cream topping on the cheesecake, and bake the cheesecake for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until it is set. Let the cheesecake cool in the pan on a rack and chill it, covered loosely, for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove the side of the pan, garnish the cheesecake with the sun-dried tomato slices and the basil, and serve it with the greens.