Recipe for a Sweet Holiday: Cheesecake with Fig, Almond Nougatine and Honey Ice Cream

Rich and decadent yet light and fluffy when properly made, cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts in the U.S. It's incredibly versatile, and during the holiday season, you may just come across a Christmas-style variety, with cranberry jam and white chocolate. Over at Peak restaurant in Hudson Yards, Executive Chef Chris Cryer has completely reimagined the holiday cheesecake, creating a whipped version featuring fig jam, almond nougatine, and honey ice cream. Consider adding this ultimate holiday cheesecake to your menu! See the recipe below, complete with a video of the process in action!

 

Whipped Cheesecake

•  900 grams Cream cheese

•  300 grams Sugar

•  1 Vanilla Bean

•  1 teaspoon Salt

•  2 teaspoons Orange Zest

•  680 grams Whipped Cream

 

Cheesecake Recipe

1.)   Whip the cream.

2.)   Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, salt, and orange zest until it’s smooth.

3.)   Fold the cream cheese mixture together with the whipped cream and transfer it to a piping bag. Now it’s ready for adding to your favorite winter flavors!

 

Fig Jam 

•  100 grams of fresh fig

•  30 grams honey

•  10 grams of balsamic vinegar

•  1 orange zest

 

Fig Jam Recipe

1.)   Cook figs, honey, and orange zest in a pot. Stir until figs cook down.

2.)   When the figs start to dry out, add balsamic and cook until it's jammy.

 

 

Almond Nougatine

•  300 grams Marcona almond

•  200 grams sugar

•  200 grams glucose syrup

•  150 grams butter

 

Almond Nougatine Recipe

1.)   Toast almonds until they are golden brown. Rough-chop the almonds once they are cool. Set everything aside.

2.)  Cook sugar and glucose syrup in a pot until it becomes a golden-brown caramel. When it becomes caramel, deglaze and mix in butter until it’s incorporated.

3.)  Add chopped almonds and mix them until it’s incorporated. Pour out onto a parchment paper-lined sheet and try to cool it.

4.) Once the mixture cools, chop it into small pieces. Store in an airtight container.

 

Honey Ice Cream

•  1000 grams milk

•  100 grams cream

•  75 grams butter

•  250 grams honey

•  60 grams sugar

•  160 grams yolks

 

Honey Ice Cream Recipe

1.)  Heat the milk, cream butter, and honey in a pot.

2.)  Mix sugar and yolks in a bowl.

3.)  When the milk mixture is hot, temper it into a sugar-yolk mixture, then add it back into the pot.

4.)  Continue to stir on medium-heat until the base thickens. Remove it from the heat and place it in an ice bath to cool.

5.)  When the mixture is cool, add the base to the ice cream machine to spin.

6.)  Plate the whipped cream cheese with the piping bag on a plate in a circular movement, as shown in the video. Then add the fig jam and nougatine, and top with the honey ice cream.

 

 

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