Make a delectable cheesecake with that favorite French cheese, Brie.
January 2009
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Recipe: Warm Rosemary Brie Cheesecake With Peach Or Apricot Preserves
Here’s a new spin on a cheesecake, using one of America’s favorite cheeses, Brie. The combination of a rosemary-scented cake, creamy Brie and peach or apricot preserves is a perfect balance of sweet and savory. It can be served at brunch, lunch, dinner or tea.
We love herbs in a cake. Olive oil and herb cakes are very popular in the Mediterranean, often made with polenta (cornmeal) instead of wheat flour. There’s a lovely Olive Oil & Fresh Rosemary Cake in Mario Batali’s The Babbo Cookbook, made in a loaf pan. It’s light and perfect as a snack with tea or coffee. You can substitute basil or thyme for the rosemary. If you want to be cutting edge, serve it for dessert with rosemary (or basil, or thyme) ice cream...or get even more creative and turn the cake and ice cream into herbed ice cream sandwiches!
Yields 12 servings.
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room
temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 4 eggs, at room temperature,
separated
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 round (8 to 10 ounces) Brie cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2/3 cup peach or apricot preserves, at
room temperature
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 In this combination, fruity preserves and aromatic rosemary unite for a progressive interpretation of sweet and savory. |
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Mix flour, baking powder, rosemary and salt in small bowl. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
- Slice Brie evenly into 3 horizontal layers. Place 1 layer, skin-side down, in center of bottom of prepared pan. Cut remaining 2 layers in half. Place, skin-side down, around Brie in pan so that most of the bottom of the pan is covered with Brie, leaving about 1/2-inch uncovered around edge of inside of pan. Set aside.
- Beat butter and 1/4 cup of the sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium-high speed 3 to 4 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add egg yolks; beat on high speed until well blended, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in 1/2 of the flour mixture, milk and then remaining flour mixture on low speed until well blended, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
- Beat egg whites in clean large bowl with electric mixer on high speed 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cream of tartar in small bowl. Gradually beat into egg whites. Beat until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture until well blended. Gently stir or fold remaining egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture. Pour and spread batter over brie to create an even cake layer.
- Bake in oven 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run small knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake. Cool about 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Remove rim of pan. Spread top of cake evenly with preserves. Serve warm. Refrigerate any leftover cake.
To Make Ahead
- Prepare and bake cake as directed above. Cool completely. Cover tightly. Refrigerate.
- Several hours before serving, remove cake from refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
- Remove rim of pan. Place cake on baking sheet. Spread top of cake evenly with preserves.
- Heat in preheated 350°F oven 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed through.
See More Cheesecake Recipes
See Cheese Ice Cream Recipes
Recipe © 2008 McCormick. All rights reserved. Other material
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