Cheesecake doesn't always have to be the last course. This savory Italian cheesecake, a recipe from one of the chefs in our Milan Cooking school, is made from Stelvio DOP cheese, honey, and pine nuts. It has a crunchy texture and slight sweetness that complement Stelvio's structure and flavor, and makes for an excellent appetizer or aperitive fare.
Made from the milk of cows that roam the mountains of Alto Adige, Stelvio DOP is produced in Bolzano. The cheese’s minimum maturation of 60 days results in a relatively soft, elastic dough that’s ideal for melting, and a spicy, intense flavor.
Stelvio DOP is available in the U.S. at select gourmet food shops.
Italian Cheesecake With Honey and Pine Nuts
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
Serves 6
Recipe: Walter Pedrazzi
Skill Level: Intermediate
Time 45 minutes + 4 hours and 30 minutes resting
Ingredients
1 lb. Stelvio DOP cheese
2 cups milk
8 oz. rolled out puff pastry
2 Tbsp. hazelnuts, roasted
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolks
butter
honey
salt
pepper
Method:
Cut the Stelvio into small pieces, soak them in milk for 1 hour, and then transfer everything into a saucepan. Add the flour, salt, and pepper, and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring until the cheese has melted.
Turn off the heat, incorporate 1 egg yolk, and whisk vigorously.
Butter the edge of an 8” ring mold, line the bottom with parchment paper, and pour in the mixture. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Place an 8” pastry mold in the center of the dough and press down lightly. Fold the edges up around the ring mold, forming the dough into a crown-like shape.
Beat 1 egg yolk with a drop of water, brush it over the edge and center, poke small holes in the dough, and then place it in the oven. Bake for 5-6 minutes, lower the oven to 350°F and cook for another 12-13 minutes.
Remove and let cool, then lower the oven to 140°F.
Remove the ring from the mold, place the pastry on top of the cheesecake, and flip it over so that the cake is inside the pastry crown, then remove the mold’s base.
Bake the cake for 10 minutes, slightly warming the puff pastry and softening the cheese.
Serve with honey, hazelnuts, toasted pine nuts, and, if desired, mixed herbs.