Jake and I are celebrating two decades years of marriage tomorrow. That's a whole lifetime...well, at least the time it takes for a child to be considered an adult and then some. On one hand it certainly feels like a lifetime; on the other, it seems to have passed in the blink of an eye.
In this past twenty years, we've had two boys, lived in two states and five different houses, and juggled probably a dozen different jobs between us. We've traveled to Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona; we've visited Italy and Costa Rica. We've SCUBA'd, zip-lined, canoed, and tangoed. It's been an amazing adventure.
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Under the Wedding Maple at Owen R. Cheatham Redwood Grove, Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park
But it's also been work. A lot of work. Don't let anyone tell you that marriage is easy. Maybe that is what makes the celebrations all the more sweet. And this year, March 2020, has been particularly challenging - not in our marriage - for the world in general. We're in our second week of shelter-in-place for the county; the state mandate was not far behind. So, it's been lots of board games, books, and streamed movies as we hunker down and try to wait out the spread of COVID-19. But there are milestones to be celebrated and twenty years of marriage is one of those things.
So, why cheesecakes? you ask. Well, we had seven cheesecakes at our wedding instead of a traditional wedding cake. So, it seems a fitting way to commemorate the occasion.
KäsküecheIn previous years, I have rallied some blogging friends to help me celebrate with their favorite cheesecakes. In 2015 we posted waaaaaay more than #FifteenCheesecakes. 2016 had us posting #SixteenCheesecakes. I skipped seventeen, but did post #EighteenCheesecakes. And we skipped nineteen. So this year, I definitely wanted to create a virtual cheesecake party with some of my favorite foodie bloggers. Our #TwentyCheesecakes Party
Alsatian Cheesecake with Boozy Fruits
Käsküeche. When I was researching cheesecakes from around the world, I came across one from Alsace. Usually this Alsatian cheesecake includes brandy-soaked prunes. Not having brandy in my cabinet...and with only 50% of our household liking prunes...I opted to go with whatever dried fruit I had and whatever booze. So, we ended up with limoncello-soaked apricots.
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Ingredients
Crust
Filling
- 7 T butter, softened
- 1/2 C organic granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2-1/2 C flour
- Also needed: pan with a removable base
Filling
- 1 C dried apricots
- 3 T + 1 t limoncello
- 1 C whole milk plain yogurt
- 1/2 C organic heavy whipping cream
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1/2 C + 1/4 C organic granulated sugar
- 3 T flour
- 1 t pure vanilla extract
Procedure
Crust
Cream the butter and sugar
together until lightened and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and beat until well-combined.
Fold in the flour until just incorporated. This is a very soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill for at least 10 minutes. While the dough chills, prepare the filling.
Filling
Place the apricots in a single layer in a small rimmed dish. Pour in 3 T limoncello and make sure they are mostly submerged. If they aren't completely covered, let stand for 5 minutes and flip over.
Filling
Place the apricots in a single layer in a small rimmed dish. Pour in 3 T limoncello and make sure they are mostly submerged. If they aren't completely covered, let stand for 5 minutes and flip over.
After the fruit has soaked and the dough chilled for 10 minutes, Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap your Springform pan with tinfoil and place it on a baking sheet.
Press the dough into the base of the pan and slightly up the sides. Gently press down with lightly floured hands. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes until cooked and no longer sticky on the surface. Remove pan from the oven.
Press the dough into the base of the pan and slightly up the sides. Gently press down with lightly floured hands. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes until cooked and no longer sticky on the surface. Remove pan from the oven.
Shake the excess liquid from the apricots and arrange them in the bottom of the crust.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, whipping cream, 1 t limoncello, 4 egg yolks, 1/2 C sugar, vanilla extract and flour. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, and a clean whisk, beat the egg whites with 1/4 C sugar until stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk and use a spatula until they are just incorporated. Pour the mixture over the apricots and bake for 45 minutes.
Let cool completely, then chill in the fridge overnight. To serve, let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Happy anniversary Cam!! That filling looks divine.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary! You had me at boozy fruit!
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary! I love celebrating virtually with you!
ReplyDeleteI think Limoncello apricots sound much more delicious that brandied prunes.
ReplyDeleteI’m so glad I got to be apart of the #twentycheesecakes! Thank you for sharing your story with me
ReplyDelete