Cherry Compote with Sweet and Salty Cheesecake and Crumble

With our cherry season almost over, and consequently the prices of cherries creeping up again here in Northern Queensland, I am reminded of how much I adore fresh cherries and how I will miss them when they have disappeared from our shelves again. Here's a delicious Cherry and Cheesecake dessert with a crumble for you based on one from the repertoire of Yotam Ottolenghi in his exceptional cook book, Simple. His recipes are timeless. 

I found this recipe deep in the archives of my food blog and as I have been blogging for 12 years now, I thought it was time to revive this delicious cherry dessert because it really is a beauty, and perfect for a special occasion, such as a birthday, an anniversary or even Valentine's Day.  Frozen cherries are used which makes life easier for the cook because they are already pitted, meaning your fresh cherries can be enjoyed and eaten by the handful while they last. However, if you have loads of fresh cherries, and are happy to remove the seeds, by all means use those. 

INGREDIENTS:

Serves six to eight:

CHEESECAKE

100g feta
300g full-fat cream cheese
40g caster sugar
1 small lemon: finely grate the zest to get 1 tsp
130 ml thickened or double cream
2 tbsp olive oil, to serve

CRUMBLE

100g blanched almonds or hazelnuts, roughly chopped (I blanched the hazelnuts myself when I used them the first time I made this, but you can buy them already blanched if you are short of time.) There are good websites available on how to blanch hazelnuts with bicarb soda and boiling water. Blanched almonds are easier to find here.
30g unsalted butter, fridge-cold and cut into 2cm dice (I used salted butter)
80g ground almonds
25g caster sugar
1 tbsp black sesame seeds (or white) (optional)
1/8 tsp salt

CHERRY COMPOTE with STAR ANISE

(Yotem Ottolenghi says the compote and crumble are also lovely for breakfast, served with Greek yoghurt, if you have any leftovers that is, and I doubt you will. The crumble will also take any fruit crumble of your choice to greater heights.)

Ingredients:

600g frozen pitted cherries, defrosted
90g caster sugar
4 whole star anise
1 orange: skin finely shaved to get 4 strips

4 tablespoons orange liqueur ( Grand Marnier or Cointreau) (optional)

Method:

To make the Cheesecake

Use a spatula, and break down the feta in a large bowl until it is as smooth as you can get it. Add the cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest and whisk by hand to combine. I used a fork during this process as well to break it down. This needs to be done by hand.

Pour in the cream and gently whisk together until the mixture has thickened enough to hold its shape, This happens quickly. Leave to set in the fridge in a covered container until ready to use. You can leave this for 3 days in the fridge. ( so good to be able to prepare this in advance.)

To make the Crumble

Preheat the oven to 180 deg. fan forced.

Place the hazelnuts, butter, ground almonds and sugar in a separate bowl.
Use the tips of your fingers to rub the butter into the other ingredients in the bowl until the consistency of breadcrumbs is achieved.
Stir in the sesame seeds and salt, then spread out onto a baking tray. 
Cook in the oven for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.
Allow to cool, then store in a covered container on the kitchen bench until ready to use, or use straight away, when the compote is made.

To make the Cherry Compote (use with any berries)

(I love the aromas that fill my kitchen when I make this.)
Put the cherries, sugar, star anise and orange skin into a medium saucepan and place on a medium high heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened (but it will continue to thicken as it cools down). Add the orange liqueur if using and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Set aside to come to room temperature. The star anise and orange peel should be discarded.

To serve:

When ready to serve, spoon a large scoop of the cheesecake into each bowl and top with half the crumble. Spoon the compote on top and finish with the remaining crumble. Drizzle over the olive oil, yes really, and serve.

I love using individual serving bowls or glasses for this recipe. I spoon individual portions into each one.

Cooking Notes:

• This recipe might sound like a lot of work but it's not really. There are 3 stages and layers to this dessert, something like a parfait really, all very achievable and quite simple to prepare, the attraction being each component can be made well in advance of when you plan to serve them. So that's what I did. The Cheesecake keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator, the compote keeps for 5 days (although this is risky as you will be dying to eat it with absolutely everything), and the nut crumble which keeps for a week or so can be kept on the kitchen bench in a covered container, or in the refrigerator, just don't tell anyone or it will disappear as well.
• When using frozen cherries over the years, I have occasionally found a cherry with the seed still within. It's a good idea to be careful. However this is rare.
• To add even more fruit to the dish, a few blackberries can be added to each serving before adding the olive oil. This depends on availability.

This is the ultimate dinner party dish. The use of feta in the cheesecake makes it exceptional. I really hope you enjoy this recipe if you decide to make it. Who doesn't love a delicious fruit dessert?

Best wishes

Pauline