Cheesecake Bowls with Pluot Compote and Almond Sesame Crumbles
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Prep time: 
Cook time: 
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Serves: at least 8 servings
 
Ingredients
  • 14 oz/400g cream cheese
  • 1 cup/200g mascarpone
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/125 g caster sugar (or regular sugar)
  • 1¼ cups/ 300 ml heavy cream
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • peel of ½ an orange, sliced into strips
  • 8 pluots, pitted and cut into cubes (I bet other fruit would be good here, too)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • about ½-3/4 cup flour
  • about 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • about a tablespoon of olive oil
Instructions
  1. For the cheesecake: at least a day in advance, mix the cream cheese, mascarpone, and ½ cup or 100g of sugar together in a mixer or large bowl with electric whisks until smooth. Add the lemon zest. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks, and fold the cream into the cheese mixture. You want a light texture, so try to fold with a light touch. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
  2. For the oil: Place the strips of orange peel and the olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. As soon as you get a hint of sizzle, take the pan off the heat and leave to cool with the orange peel immersed as much as possible.
  3. For the compote: Put the fruit, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the lemon juice in a pot and cook over medium heat for about half an hour, or until fruit has collapsed and you get a jammy, pourable or spoonable consistency. If you want more chunky fruit, watch carefully and remove from heat earlier, when desired consistency is reached.
  4. For the crumble: Heat the oven to 350F/176C. Add butter, flour, sugar, and oats to a small bowl. Pinch the butter into the flour mixture until you get small flakes or pea-sized pieces of butter in a gravelly mixture. Add the almonds and sesame seeds and stir to combine. Add a dash of olive oil if mixture looks too sandy and not clumpy enough. Spread the crumble mixture on a baking tray lined with parchment, making sure to not spread things too thinly. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, watching carefully to make sure the edges don't burn. Cool in pan on a rack, and break into crumbles when completely cool
  5. To assemble: do what feels right. I spooned some cheesecake mixture into a jam jar, added compote on the side, drizzled everything with orange oil, and topped with a sparse hit of crumble. I bet you could go other ways and change the taste quite a bit.
Recipe by The Bright Kitchen at https://www.thebrightkitchen.com/cheesecake-bowls-with-pluot-compote-and-almond-sesame-crumbles/