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White Chocolate Cheesecake Ribbons with Pistachio Crumble

White Chocolate Ribbons with Pistachios
Nathan Congleton / TODAY
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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.

Ingredients

White Chocolate Cheesecake Ribbons
  • pounds cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3 eggs
  • cups (285 g) sugar
  • 1/2 cup (135 g) heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound (262 g) white chocolate, melted
  • tablespoons (12.5 g) cornstarch, sifted
  • tablespoons (10 g) salt
Pistachio Crumble
  • cups (280 g) raw pistachios
  • cup (240 g) sugar
  • 1 cup (120 g) cornstarch
  • 1 stick (120 g) butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
Pickled Blueberries
  • 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
Blueberry Jam
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 pinch salt

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.