Food & Drink

Apricot Cheesecake

Sweets w credit

Late June to early August is the perfect time to get freshly-harvested apricots. Use them for this recipe by drying them first – either in the sun, an oven or a pot. Find detailed instructions here.

From the author:
I love both the intense color and flavor of this cheesecake variation. During the summer I like to top it with a purée of fresh strawberries or raspberries for dramatic contrast. In the fall I often make a topping of simmered and sweetened cranberries.

Apricot Cheesecake

Serves 10 to 12

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 1 cup gingersnap crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Grated zest of 1 orange
  • 1½ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Simmer the apricots in water to cover for 30 minutes, then drain.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8- or 9-inch springform pan.
  3. Toss the gingersnap crumbs with the melted butter in a small mixing bowl. Press the crumbs over the bottom and 1 inch up the side of the prepared pan. Set aside.
  4. Purée the apricots with the orange zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
  5. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl until very smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the sour cream and apricot purée until completely blended. Pour the batter into the springform pan.
  6. Bake until the center is firm when touched lightly, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the cake on a wire rack, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Top with a fruit topping, if desired, and serve.

Nantucket Open-House CookbookNantucket Open-House Cookbook
by Sarah Leah Chase

Sarah Leah Chase knows that summer means long, lazy days of fun and getting together, of throwing the doors open and inviting over everyone you know for the pleasures of good company and good food. Now, cooks everywhere can create more than 250 of the recipes that have drawn hungry visitors and residents to her popular gourmet shop, Que Sera Sarah on Nantucket Island.

The author’s eclectic combinations center on the freshest of seafood and produce. Nantucket Open-House Cookbook is for anyone who wants to make the most of fair-weather dining all year round.

GET THE BOOK: Amazon | B&N | ebooks.com | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

July 5, 2015 By
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