White Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake

The good news, and one burden off my shoulders, is that my baby boy is already in a head down position. I was sure he was because I felt the strange movements one evening, but it's good to have it confirmed by a doctor and the ultrasound. I was terrified, I must say so, of the C-section. I'd rather suffer the natural pain. And my doctor added that as far as she was regarded I could deliver at home as well since the whole pregnancy's gone so smooth, without complications and the baby is growing fine. I don't have any intention to do that anyway, but it's nice to know. After having my first daughter, the nurses, amazed at how quick everything was finished, told me I should be careful not to deliver in the middle of the street next time ^__^

With this positive charge, despite the heat I continue complaining about, I went towards Vignola orchards yesterday with my daughter. Vignola is a town only some 30 km from Modena and it's famous for it's cherries  that are in season from the middle of May to the end of June with different varieties that can be found. I was especially glad to find some duroni variety yesterday. They are really huge type of cherries, dark in colour and juicy and sweet. I weighed some of them and they were all between 11 and 15 grams. Compared to a few cherries I had at home, bought at the supermarket, these were almost double in size.
I've already used one small part of those I bought yesterday to make some... mmmmmmmm, I won't tell you yet, you'll have to come back ^__^ and I'm thinking I should make some Cherry jam as well.
Then I remembered how many recipes with cherries I actually have in my draft folder on blog. For some reason never published, but more then worth talking about.
So, if you're still in time to get your hands on some sweet, juicy cherries don't miss your chance. Here's just one suggestion, but a few more should follow soon... and not only sweet...
This is such a light and delicious cake. A soft, melting layer of sponge cake on the bottom and the perfectly smooth, melt-in-your-mouth layer of white chocolate and cheese cream on top. Only pieces of cherries make opposition and creating a flavour contrast as well.
I'd so love to have a slice in front of me... see, one reason why I shouldn't have pulled this out of the draft folder...

White Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake

Sponge cake:
70 g sugar
1/4 teaspoon honey
75 g eggs (approx. one large egg)
45 g egg yolks (approx. 2 large or 3 small egg yolks)
50 g flour
30 g potato   starch


Cream layer:
3 egg yolks
120 g sugar
150 g white chocolate
3x2g gelatine leaves (6 g in all)
150 g fresh ricotta cheese
250 ml heavy cream
1/2 lemon (juice)
200 g cherries
2 TBspoons sliced almonds (for decoration)

Put the whole egg(s), the sugar and the honey into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and foamy.
Add the egg yolks and continue beating at highest speed until stiff.
Add the flour and the potato starch mixing at lowest speed until just incorporated.
Pour the batter into greased and floured 22 cm spring form and bake the cake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 20 minutes.
Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the cream part, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 10 minutes to soften.
Mix the egg yolks, the sugar and the grated white chocolate in a heat proof mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl shouldn't be in contact with water) and cook stirring until the sugar has dissolved, the chocolate has melted and the cream starts thickening.
Remove the bowl from heat, stir in the well drained gelatine leaves and then the ricotta cheese previously passed through a fine mash sieve and the lemon juice. Whisk until the cream is smooth and set aside to cool at room temperature, stirring every now and then.
When the cream is cold, add the whipped heavy cream and the chopped cherries. Leave some cherry halves for decoration.
Place the cake on a serving plate and place a metal ring around it (1 cm wider than the cake). Pour the cream over the cake and level with a spatula or a spoon. Put the reserved cherries on top pushing them just slightly in.
Cover with a cling film and place the cake in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours or until the cream has set and isn't runny.
Remove the metal ring - run a knife between the cake and the ring to loosen it.
Slightly dry toast the almonds in a skillet and press them to the sides of the cake.

Cheesecake al cioccolato bianco e ciliegie


Pan di Spagna:
* 70 g di zucchero
* 1/4 di cucchiaino di miele
* 75 g di uova (circa un uovo grande)
* 45 g di tuorli (circa 2 tuorli grandi o 3 piccoli)
* 50 g farina
* 30 g fecola di patate


Crema:
* 3 tuorli
* 120 g di zucchero
* 150 g cioccolato bianco
* 3 fogli di gelatina (6 g)
* 150 g di ricotta fresca
* 250 ml panna fresca
* 1/2 limone (succo)
* 200 g di ciliegie
* 2 cucchiai di mandorle a lamelle per decorare


Per il pan di spagna, mettete le uova intere, lo zucchero e il miele in una terrina e sbattete con uno sbattitore elettrico finché la massa diventi chiara e gonfia. Aggiungete i tuorli e continuate a sbattere finché la massa diventi ben soda e montata.
Unite la farina setacciata insieme alla fecola continuando a mescolare alla velocità più bassa.
Versate il composto in uno stampo imburrato e infarinato di 22 cm di diametro (o leggermente più grande se preferite il pan di spagna più basso). Infornate a 180°C per 20 minuti circa.
Togliete il pan di spagna dallo stampo e lasciatelo raffreddare su una griglia.


Lasciate i fogli di gelatina in ammollo in acqua fredda per circa 10 minuti per ammorbidirli.
Per la crema, mescolate i tuorli, il cioccolato bianco grattugiato e lo zucchero in una terrina resistente a calore usando una frusta a mano.
Mettete la ciotola sopra una pentola con l'acqua che sobolle evitando il contatto tra i due. Cuocete la crema mescolando con una frusta o un cucchiaio finché lo zucchero e il cioccolato si sono sciolti e la crema inizia ad addensarsi.
Togliete dal fuoco e unite la gelatina ben strizzata, la ricotta setacciata e il succo di limone. Mescolate bene con una frusta e lasciate raffreddare a temperatura ambiente mescolando ogni tanto.
Montate la panna e tagliate le ciliegie a pezzettini lasciando qualcuna intera o tagliata a metà per decorare la torta. Aggiungete la panna montata e le ciliegie alla crema e mescolate bene.
Mettete il pan di spagna su un piatto. Posizionate un anello d'acciaio intorno, 1 cm più largo della torta.
Versate la crema sopra e livellatela. Posizionate sopra le ciliege lasciate da parte.
Coprite il tutto con la pellicola e lasciate in frigo per almeno 2-3 ore o finché la crema si sarà rappresa.
Passate un coltello tra l'anello e la torta per staccarlo.
Tostate le mandorle in un pentolino (senza aggiungere grassi) e decorate i lati della torta.




Torta s bijelom čokoladom, sirom i trešnjama


Biskvit:
* 70 g šećera
* 1/4 žličice meda
* 75 g jaja
* 45 g žumanjaka
* 50 g brašna
* 30 g škrobnog brašna


Nadjev:
* 3 žumanjka
* 120 g šećera
* 150 g bijele čokolade
* 3 listića želatine (6 g)
* 150 g svježeg kravljeg sira
* 250 ml slatkog vrhnja za šlag
* 1/2 limuna (sok)
* 200 g trešanja
* 2 žlice listića badema (za ukras)


■za biskvit:
Stavite cijela jaja, šećer i med u zdjelu i umutite dobro mikserom na najvećoj brzini.
Dodajte žumanjke pa nastavite mutiti dok ne dobijete čvrstu smjesu.
Smanjite brzinu miksera na najnižu pa polagano dodajite brašno (pomiješano i prosijano zajedno sa škrobnim brašnom).
Ulijte tijesto u namašten i pobrašnjen kalup promjera 22cm (ili veći ako želite tanji biskvit) i pecite oko 20 minuta na 180°C. Izvadite tijesto iz kalupa i ostavite da se ohladi.


■za nadjev:
Namočite listiće želatine u hladnu vodu 10-ak minuta da omekšaju.
Pomiješajte žumanjke, naribanu čokoladu i šećer pa kuhajte na pari da se čokolada i šećer istope i krema malo zgusne.
U toplu kremu umiješajte ocijeđene listiće želatine, a zatim i dobro ocijeđeni i propasirani sir i sok limuna. Izmiješajte dobro pjenjačom da dobijete glatku kremu. Ostavite da se potpuno ohladi, povremeno promiješajte pjenjačom.
Umutite čvrst šlag od slatkog vrhnja pa ga umiješajte u ohlađenu kremu, a zatim dodajte očišćene i narezane trešnje (ostavila sam nekoliko polovica trešanja koje sam na kraju utisnula u kremu).
Položite biskvit na tanjur, pa oko njega stavite metalni obruč (neka obruč bude za 1 cm širi od torte) i ulijte nadjev. Pokrijte prozirnom folijom i ostavite barem 2-3 sata u hladnjaku da se nadjev stisne.
Pažljivo uklonite obruč (prođite prvo pažljivo nožem između torte i ruba obruča, a onda ga otvorite i skinite). Ukrasite stranice torte malo poprženim listićima badema.