Mini Burnt Basque Cheesecake w/ Kite Hill Almond Cream Cheese and Coconut Cream (GF) (DF)

Spring forward with a beautiful mini cheesecake to set out among your daffodils and colored eggs. This Burnt Basque Cheesecake is baked in a toaster oven to get the proper topping and, at a mere 3" in diameter, is perfect for one, two, three or four servings.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 5 Persimmons*

Ingredients:

8 oz. Kite Hill Almond Cream Cheese, Plain, room temperature

1/4 cup pure cane sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons coconut cream, thick part of cream

1 tablespoon gluten-free flour, preferably Cup4Cup Multi- Purpose Gluten Free Flour

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Use either a 3" diameter springform pan, or one loaf of a 4-loaf mini-bread pan. 

A toaster oven works well for this cake so no need to preheat. Use the middle rack for the 3" baking pan.

If using a conventional oven, the convection feature is reported to get a better burnt topping. Place baking sheet as high as possible to fit the cake as it rises. Preheat oven to 450º F.

Note: The maximum recommended temperature for the parchment paper I have is 425º F. so I kept a close eye on the cake at all times. It worked fine - didn't even get warm.

3" Spring Form Pan w/ Parchment Paper

If using a 3" springform pan: Cut a sheet of parchment paper a couple of inches larger than the pan. Remove the bottom of the pan and place it in the middle of the parchment paper. Press the bottom of the pan in the outer ring with the parchment paper rising up the insides of the pan. Secure the latch. Trim the excesss paper, leaving about 2" above the pan. (See photo.) Butter the bottom and insides of the paper.

If using a mini-bread pan: Butter the bottom and sides of one loaf pan. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit inside and rise up on all  sides. Trim the paper to about 2" above the pan. Butter the bottom and insides of the paper. This paper will be used to lift out the baked cheesecake.

1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium high speed, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until very smooth and fluffy, making sure all the sugar is dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.

2. In a small bowl, mix the flour with about a tablespoon of the coconut cream, whisking by hand to mix. Add the remaining cream, whisking until it forms somewhat of a lumpy mass (the cream is cold) and add it to the batter. Beat well for about a minute. Add the lemon and vanilla and mix to combine. Taste.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. The 3" pan will be be filled up. Set the pan either in the toaster or preheated conventional oven, checking the cake frequently. 

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top is very dark and charred but the middle still has a bit of a jiggle. If baked in a conventional oven, the cake may need to go under the broiler for about 2 minutes to darken up the top crust.

Let cool on a wire rack until room temperature. Serve cooled, or refrigerate for about an hour. The cheesecake will keep in a covered container in the fridge for several days.

#paleo #glutenfree #cheesecake #cake #basque #kitehill #coconut #coconutcream #dessert #snack #lemon #vanilla #nondairy #glutenfree #vegetarian 

Recipe adapted from "i am a food blog" here.

*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.