Ricotta cheesecake with caramelized oranges

11
Points®
Total Time
6 hr 30 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
1 hr
Serves
12
Difficulty
Easy
Dutch chef Miljuschka Witzenhausen created this rich, creamy cheesecake with a combination of ricotta, cream cheese, and plain yogurt, and then added orange zest, lemon zest, and vanilla to offset the richness with citrus flavors. To caramelize the oranges for the beautiful topping, chef Witzenhausen warms them in a mix of honey and either cinnamon or rosemary. You could also use both the cinnamon and rosemary for even more layers of flavor.

Ingredients

Part skim ricotta cheese

2¾ cup(s)

Low fat cream cheese

8 oz

Plain low fat yogurt

2 cup(s)

Cornstarch

1 Tbsp

Fresh lemon juice

cup(s)

Lemon zest

1 Tbsp

Orange zest

1 Tbsp

Vanilla extract

1 tsp

Sugar

cup(s)

Egg

3 item(s), large

Orange

3 medium, peeled and cut into 4 thick slices

Honey

2 Tbsp

Ground cinnamon

2 tsp

Rosemary sprig

2 item(s)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray an 8” round cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
  2. In a blender, beat the ricotta, cream cheese, and yogurt until soft and creamy. In a separate bowl, mix together the corn starch and lemon juice. Add this mixture, together with the lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla, sugar, and eggs to the cheese mixture. Beat until till creamy. Pour the mixture into prepared pan. Bake the cheesecake for 55-65 minutes until golden brown. The center should still wobble when you remove it from the oven.
  3. Cool the cheesecake completely at room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight, to chill.
  4. For the topping, heat a nonstick pan over a medium high heat and add the oranges. Cook for about 1 minute on both sides till slightly browned. Add the honey and cinnamon, or rosemary, and remove pan from the heat. Cut the chilled cheesecake in slices and serve each piece with a slice of orange on top.