Vanilla Cheesecake Tartlets With Vanilla Vodka Berries Recipes

CHEESECAKE TART WITH BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Make the crust: Pulse the flour, pecans, sugar and salt in a food processor until the pecans are finely ground. Pulse in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice-cold water and pulse until the dough just comes together.
• Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disk, wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 15 minutes. Put the dough in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press into an even layer over the bottom and up the sides. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Line the crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges of the crust begin turning golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and continue baking until the crust is golden brown, 15 to 20 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• Make the filling: Whisk 1 cup milk, the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Heat the remaining 2/3 cup milk and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. While whisking, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Return to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to bubble and is very thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the cream cheese, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Pour into the cooled crust and refrigerate until set, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Make the topping: Toss the berries, sugar and sherry in a bowl and let sit at room temperature, 20 minutes. Top the tart with the berries.

BRULEED VANILLA-BEAN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse crackers with granulated sugar and salt until finely ground. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups.) Add butter; pulse until combined. Transfer to a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom; firmly press into bottom and up sides. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake until crust is dry and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Filling: Place cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla seeds, and salt in cleaned food processor; blend just until smooth. Fill crust with cheesecake mixture. Bake until filling is just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• To serve, place 2 tablespoons superfine sugar in a sieve and evenly sift over top of cheesecake (avoiding crust). Move a small kitchen blowtorch back and forth across sugar until caramelized (aiming torch toward center to avoid burning crust). Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons superfine sugar, making a second caramelized layer. Top with spun sugar and serve, slicing through spun sugar and cake with a sharp knife, and wiping blade between slices.

VANILLA CHEESECAKE TARTLETS WITH VANILLA-VODKA BERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl until evenly moistened. Divide mixture among eight 4 1/2 x 3/4-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms; press over bottoms and up sides. Bake until light brown, about 12 minutes. Cool crusts completely in pans on racks.
• Mix 8 teaspoons vodka and 4 teaspoons vanilla extract in small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir ober very low heat just until dissolved. Cool to barely lukewarm.
• Combine cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla beans. Beat in cream, then gelatine mixture. Divide filling among crusts. Press bottoms of pans up releasing tartlets. Arrange tartlets on baking sheet. Chill 3 hours or overnight.
• Gently stir berries, 4 teaspoons vodka, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/4 cup sugar in bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Top tartlets with berry mixture.