Ingredients
- 1½ pounds cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups (285 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (135 g) heavy cream
- 1/2 pound (262 g) white chocolate, melted
- 1½ tablespoons (12.5 g) cornstarch, sifted
- 1¼ tablespoons (10 g) salt
- 2¼ cups (280 g) raw pistachios
- 1¼ cup (240 g) sugar
- 1 cup (120 g) cornstarch
- 1 stick (120 g) butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar or red verjus
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- Salt, to taste
- 1 pint blueberries, washed and dried
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
Chef notes
Skip the cracked cheesecake and make a deconstructed version with star pastry chef Dominique Crenn's white chocolate cheesecake ribbons topped with a crispy pistachio crumble, pickled blueberries and easy homemade blueberry jam.
Preparation
For the White Chocolate Cheesecake Ribbons:
1.In a standing mixer, paddle the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is soft and smooth.
2.Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing each until fully incorporated.
3.Slowly stream in the heavy cream.
4.Slowly stream in the melted white chocolate.
5.Add the sifted cornstarch and salt last.
6.Pour the mixture into a large round pan wrapped tightly around all sides with plastic wrap.
7.Bake in a water bath at 325° until done, about 45 minutes.
8.Allow to cool in the wrapping. Once cool, paddle the mixture until smooth and place immediately into small piping bags to avoid a skin from forming. Allow to set by chilling overnight for best results or for at least 3 hours.
For the Pistachio Crumble:
1.Preheat the oven to 325°.
2.In a grinder, add the pistachios, sugar and cornstarch. Grind until the mixture becomes a powder, using caution to not over work.
3.Place the mixture in a medium bowl and mix in the melted butter and salt.
4.Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and bake until done about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is crispy and crumbly.
For the Pickled Blueberries:
1.In a large pan, heat the vinegar, water and sugar over high heat. Season with salt to taste.
2.In a large jar, add the blueberries and set aside.
3.Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove it from the heat and pour over the blueberries to cover.
4.Let the jar cool before placing in the refrigerator. Chill overnight.
For the Blueberry Jam:
1.In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar over medium-high heat until bubbling. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature and heat to 240°. The bubbles should be smaller at this stage which is called "soft ball stage."
2.Add the blueberries and mix. Cook the mixture down to a thick but easy to pipe consistency.
3.Season with the lemon juice and salt and stir to combine.
To Assemble:
Pipe the white chocolate cheesecake into ribbons. Top with the pistachio crumble, pickled blueberries and a drizzle of the blueberry jam. Garnish with edible flowers, if desired. Chef Crenn likes to use borage blossoms, pea tendrils and elderflowers.
