sister herb
Official TTI Chef
This cake must to be super healthy - see the carrots top of it
For the Cheesecake
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
2 medium carrots, peeled, finely grated
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Petite Marzipan Carrots
For the Crust
2 ounces (1/2 cup) toasted pecans
8 graham crackers, finely ground (1 cup)
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
1.Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Place in a medium bowl with graham crackers, and stir in butter, sugar, and salt.
2.Wrap outside and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil. Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden brown around edges and firm, about 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
3.Make the cheesecake: Melt butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add carrots and 1/2 cup sugar, and cook, stirring often, until carrots are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with pan juices to a bowl, and let cool.
4.Beat cream cheese and remaining cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add carrots and pan juices, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Pour into crust.
5.Set springform pan in a large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of springform pan. Bake cheesecake until set but slightly wobbly in center, 80 to 90 minutes.
6.Transfer springform pan to a rack, and remove foil. Let cool. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 6 hours (or overnight; cheesecake will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days). Run a hot knife around edges of cheesecake to loosen, then remove sides of pan. Decorate with marzipan carrots just before serving.
Petite Marzipan Carrots
Ingredients
1 ounce marzipan
Orange and red gel-paste food coloring
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for decorating
Small fresh carrot fronds, rinsed and dried well
Directions
1.Tint marzipan with orange and red food coloring, a drop at a time, to reach desired color. Divide into 12 pieces. (Cover with plastic wrap when not using.) Shape each piece into a ball, then roll into logs, tapering 1 end, to resemble carrots (pictured, above).
2.Dip a paring knife into cocoa powder. Make tiny indentations in each carrot with cocoa-dusted knife to evoke the vegetable's texture. Carrots will keep, covered, for up to 1 week. Push fronds into top of each carrot before serving.
For the Cheesecake
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
2 medium carrots, peeled, finely grated
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Petite Marzipan Carrots
For the Crust
2 ounces (1/2 cup) toasted pecans
8 graham crackers, finely ground (1 cup)
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
1.Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Place in a medium bowl with graham crackers, and stir in butter, sugar, and salt.
2.Wrap outside and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil. Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom of pan. Bake until golden brown around edges and firm, about 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
3.Make the cheesecake: Melt butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add carrots and 1/2 cup sugar, and cook, stirring often, until carrots are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with pan juices to a bowl, and let cool.
4.Beat cream cheese and remaining cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add carrots and pan juices, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Pour into crust.
5.Set springform pan in a large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of springform pan. Bake cheesecake until set but slightly wobbly in center, 80 to 90 minutes.
6.Transfer springform pan to a rack, and remove foil. Let cool. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 6 hours (or overnight; cheesecake will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days). Run a hot knife around edges of cheesecake to loosen, then remove sides of pan. Decorate with marzipan carrots just before serving.
Petite Marzipan Carrots
Ingredients
1 ounce marzipan
Orange and red gel-paste food coloring
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for decorating
Small fresh carrot fronds, rinsed and dried well
Directions
1.Tint marzipan with orange and red food coloring, a drop at a time, to reach desired color. Divide into 12 pieces. (Cover with plastic wrap when not using.) Shape each piece into a ball, then roll into logs, tapering 1 end, to resemble carrots (pictured, above).
2.Dip a paring knife into cocoa powder. Make tiny indentations in each carrot with cocoa-dusted knife to evoke the vegetable's texture. Carrots will keep, covered, for up to 1 week. Push fronds into top of each carrot before serving.