Blood Orange Cheesecake


submitted by rcoen
Serves 8 to 10
Ricotta cheese makes this lighter and less rich than a standard
cheesecake.

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
6 or 7 graham crackers, crushed into crumbs (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
Pinch of salt
Grated zest of 1/2 orange
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 Candied Blood Orange Slice
Blood Orange Glaze (Recipe Below)

Place ricotta in a sieve lined with cheesecloth, place in refrigerator,
and let the ricotta drain for several hours or overnight. Preheat the
oven to 350°. Fit a parchment circle into the bottom of a 7-inch
springform pan. Make crust: Combine graham-cracker crumbs and 2
tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Stir in melted butter with a fork
until crumbs are moistened. Press into bottom of pan, and bake for 10
minutes. Place lemon juice in a small bowl, and sprinkle gelatin over the
surface. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften. In a small, heavy saucepan,
beat egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in milk. Gradually whisk in remaining
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. Add salt. Cook over low heat, stirring
constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 7 minutes. Do
not allow to boil. Transfer to a bowl, and stir. Stir in softened
gelatin, orange zest, and vanilla, mixing until gelatin is completely
dissolved. Set custard aside. Place drained ricotta in the bowl of a
food processor, and process until smooth. Add cream cheese, and process
again until smooth. With machine running, add warm custard, and process
just long enough to combine. Transfer to a bowl, and fold in whipped
cream. Pour mixture into the prepared pan, cover, and chill overnight.
Place a candied orange slice in center of cake. Pour glaze over top,
tipping cake pan to cover completely. Chill for 1 hour, or until glaze is
set. To unmold, wrap a hot towel around sides of pan to help release
cake, and run a thin knife around the inside of the pan. Carefully remove
outside of pan. Slide onto a serving plate, and chill until ready to
serve.

Blood Orange Glaze
Makes enough for one 7-inch cake

3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
7 tablespoons freshly squeezed blood-orange juice, strained (1 to 2
oranges)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of the juice; let
stand until soft, about 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and
4 tablespoons juice to a boil. Combine remaining tablespoon juice and
cornstarch in a small bowl. Stir until dissolved; whisk into boiling
orange juice. Remove from heat. Stir in softened gelatin. Cool to
lukewarm, and pour over cake.


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