Land of Goshen Chevre Cheese cakes with Cherry Cabernet Preserves
Crust
1 cup black walnuts
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter
¼ cup AP flour
Method
Place walnuts, brown sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until ingredients have creamed together with the nuts remaining granulated and not pureed. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with flour and gently combine without over-mixing.
Filling
1.5# chevre cheese
1.5# cream cheese
2 cups sugar
6 ea eggs
1 tbl real vanilla extract
In a Kitchenaid mixer or with a hand mixer cream together the cream cheese, goat cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one egg at a time mixing almost until completely combined prior to the addition of each egg. Finish by adding the vanilla extract and mixing until batter is smooth. HINT: scrape the bowl after adding the third egg, then continue and repeat prior to the last egg.
Assembly
Spray a water tight spring form pan lightly with a non stick cooking spray. Press the crust tightly into the pan and compress it with the bottom of a jar or glass and bringing it slightly up the edges of the spring form pan. Fill the spring form with the batter and bake it in a water bath at 300 degrees until the cake is cooked through (depending on the oven from 1 hour to 75 minutes. Jiggling the cake slightly should give a good indication if the batter is undercooked. The cake will rise first around the edges and then entirely across the middle when it is finished. Monitor frequently for the final 20 minutes because if overcooked cracks will form in the top of the cake. Serve with your favorite Food for Thought preserves!
