Honeyed Balsamic Cherry Cheesecake in a Triple Ginger Crust

Looking for a reason to celebrate? The calendar is full of happy occasions that are perfect for sharing a slice of this intimate little Cherry Cheesecake. Made with honey flavored chèvre and topped with beautiful Honeyed Balsamic Cherries in a gingersnap crust, this small cheesecake goes a long way toward making a holiday, or any occasion, special.

Endless Distractions

A few days ago I walked into Trader Joe’s thinking whole grains, exotic frozen vegetables and tofu. When I walked out, however, I was not only thinking, but obsessing on, cheesecake. How did that happen? I blame those lovely oval jars of Dark Morello Cherries.

But then again, that’s not where it started. First, near the tofu, I spied the goat cheese. I was just admiring the wide variety of choices when I saw a package of Chèvre with Honey. I do have a weakness for honey and having recently found a new appreciation for the way it enhances Greek yogurt, I thought it might be nice to try a little.

I grabbed the tofu, the Chèvre with Honey, a loaf of bread and multigrain crackers then turned to the frozen vegetables. Right there above the frozen foods was a display of some of my favorite cookies. I debated with myself over buying a box of TJ’s Triple Ginger Snaps. They are so delicious dipped in coffee. Plus they are small and, in that common calorie counting delusion, “small = virtuous.” Right? Then I had another thought. I could just imagine how delicious that honeyed goat cheese would taste smeared on a crisp gingery cookie. That tipped the scales and the cookies slid into my cart along with the roasted corn and frozen carrots.

An Inspired Conclusion

It was then that I turned and saw them; a beautifully arranged line of those intriguing oval jars filled with Dark Morello Cherries. A picture came to mind; a beautiful photo of a cheesecake I had seen in a magazine. It had a thick crust of ginger snap crumbs piled high on the sides and a syrupy cascade of cherries flowing down the cheese filling. Hoping I could make that happen, I grabbed a jar and headed toward check-out.

That was my road from vegetables, whole grains and tofu – to Cheesecake.

Not that there is anything wrong with Cheesecake! In fact when I realized that President’s Day is only days away, and I remembered the Cherry Cheese Pies Aunt Hen used to make for George Washington’s Birthday, I knew it was meant to be. It is sad to overlook those minor holidays and the opportunities they provide for us to celebrate.

Spontaneous Celebrations

This, however, is not your traditional Washington’s Birthday Cherry Cheese Pie…or even your traditional thick and creamy cheesecake. I adored that magazine photo but when it came down to reading through the recipe I had different ideas about every step of the process, except for the crust. I wanted a light cheesecake using the Chèvre with Honey instead of a heavy mixture of cream cheese and sour cream. I also planned to use those beautiful morello cherries on top. After looking through a variety of inspiring recipes I combined those inspirations, changed the proportions, cut it all in half, and ended up with a gorgeous 6-inch Honeyed Balsamic Cherry Cheesecake in a Triple Ginger Crust.

So here’s to history and the opportunity it gives us to indulge in a little celebration! Or, if you are already previously engaged this President’s Day weekend, try this intimate little cheesecake for just about any occasion.

Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!

~ Amanda Bradley

Honeyed Balsamic Cherry Cheesecake in a Triple Ginger Crust

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

This intimate little Cherry Cheesecake is made with honey sweetened chèvre in a gingersnap crust, then topped with balsamic sauced cherries.

Ingredients

• Gingersnap Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups fine gingersnap crumbs  (I used 1/2 package TJ’s Triple Ginger Snaps ground in a food processor)

• 1/4 cup melted butter

• Cheesecake Filling:

• 8 ounces Chèvre with Honey (or use another plain soft goat cheese and double the honey)

• 2 Tablespoons honey

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 large eggs, seperated

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour

• Balsamic Cherry Topping:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 cup syrup from cherries (or water, if not using canned cherries)

• 8-12 ounces cherries, frozen or canned

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• To make the crust:
• In a medium bowl, combine the ginger snap crumbs and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 6-inch springform pan using your fingers, a glass or a straight-sided adjustable measuring cup. (It works great for pressing the crumbs high up the sides of the pan.)
• To prepare the filling:
• In a medium bowl, combine the goat cheese, honey, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and well combined.
• Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and mix on low until incorporated.
• In a smaller bowl, beat the egg whites with clean beaters until soft peaks form. (They should be firm but not dry.) Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Add the remaining egg whites, folding gently until they are incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the ginger snap crust.
• Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cool the cheesecake can be covered and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to several days.
• To prepare topping:
• While the cheesecake bakes, combine the balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup honey and syrup from the cherries (or water) in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer for approximately 7-10 minutes, or until the sauce begins to look syrupy.
• Remove from heat and transfer the sauce mixture to a bowl. Refrigerate until cool.
• To serve:
• Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan by running a knife along the outer edge and unlocking the side of the pan, pulling the pan away. Center the cheesecake on a serving platter. Stir thoroughly drained canned cherries or thawed frozen cherries into the honey balsamic syrup.  Pour the cherry mixture over the top of the cheesecake. It should settle into the slight depression in the center of the cooled cheesecake.Slice and serve.
• Alternately, dust the top of the cheesecake with powdered sugar just before serving and present with the cherry sauce on the side.

Notes

• This cheesecake turned out to be creamy, flavorful and delicious without the cloying mouth-feel often left by a cream cheese cheesecake.
• The cherry sauce was delicious but ran off the side of my serving dish shortly after preparation.  I suggest a serving dish with a rim. Or simply serve the cherry topping on the side as described above.
• This recipe is for a 6-inch cheesecake. For a 9-inch cheesecake, double the recipe.  The cooking time should remain roughly the same.
• Dark Morello Cherries, in the oval jar, can no longer be found at my local Trader Joe’s. Other canned cherries, sweet or sour, packed in syrup or water, can be used. Frozen cherries may also be thawed and used as a substitute.

What if you are in a hurry or just don’t want to deal with the fuss? Want to try this flavor combination but don’t have the time, inclination or equipment to bake a cheesecake? The DIY approach may be what you are looking for. Try Deconstructed Balsamic Cherry Cheese Bites. It breaks the recipe down, focusing on the delicious Honey Balsamic Cherry Sauce and engaging your guests in assembling their own delicious bite-sized morsels.