For the Crust
1½ cups animal cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
10 ounces Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog
8 ounces cream cheese
1 vanilla bean, seeds only
10 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 large eggs, separated
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar
For the Vanilla and Honey-poached Figs
1 cup honey
1½ cup water
1 vanilla bean
1 piece lemon zest
½ teaspoon lemon juice
6 black Mission figs
For the Crust:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to coat the crumbs evenly. Press into the bottom of a 9½–inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature.
For the Cheesecake
Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees. Carefully cut the rind off of the goat cheese (the final product should be 8 ounces). Combine the goat cheese, cream cheese and vanilla seeds in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
Add the mascarpone cheese and mix until combined. Add 1/3 of the can of sweetened condensed milk and mix until completely smooth. Mix in the remaining sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and egg yolks. Pour into a large bowl.
Thoroughly wash and dry the electric mixing bowl–it should be free of any fatty residue. Place the egg whites into the bowl with whip attachment and mix on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tarter and continue to whip to soft peaks. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar and whip to medium-stiff peaks.
Fold the eggs whites into the cheese mixture just until streaks of egg whites are no longer visible. Place the springform pan onto a sheetpan. Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust and bake for 45 minutes. Rotate the sheetpan and bake for 10 minutes longer.
Cool at room temperature then chill overnight. Serve with Vanilla and Honey-Poached Figs.
For the Vanilla and Honey-poached Figs
In a small pot, mix the honey and water. Scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds and pod to the pot. Using a peeler, peel 1 piece of lemon zest from the lemon and add it to the pot along with the lemon juice. Cut the figs in half then place in the poaching liquid. Over medium-low heat cook until just tender. Cool. Store the figs in the liquid and keep refrigerated up to several days.
Posted: 5/9/2010 5:12:10 PM