Valentine's Day is coming, which means it's time for desserts! Unfortunately, I find most desserts too sweet for my taste. So I've created a few desserts that have a savory aspect to them so that they aren't cloyingly sweet. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! 

Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Roasted Grapes

Makes one 8” cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons crushed pretzels

1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar

For the cheesecake:

10. 5 oz log goat cheese, room temperature

2/3 cup granulated sugar

15 ounces ricotta

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 egg yolks

Zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

For roasted grapes:

2 1/2 cups grapes

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Make the crust:

Mix together butter, pretzel crumbs, and sugar. Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of an 8” springform pan. Place in the oven and cook until set and lightly brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack to cook completely.

Make the cheesecake:

Place goat cheese and sugar in the bowl of a food processor (this one is my favorite) fit with a metal blade. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and add the ricotta cheese. Process just until incorporated and smooth. Scrape the sides and ensure that there are no lumps, as you won’t be able to remove them later.

Add the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, zest, and a pinch of salt. Process just until combined. Pour the mixture onto the prepared crust. Place the pan on a sheet tray and place on a rack placed in the center of the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the edge is set, but there is pool of liquidy batter about 1” wide in the center.

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Run a thin, flexible spatula around the edge of the cheesecake (being careful not to dig into the cheesecake) to release it from the pan. Let cool completely. When cool, wrap tightly in plastic and cool for a minimum of 4 hours or up to overnight.

Make the grapes:

Just before serving, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat.

Toss grapes with olive oil and sugar. Spread in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan. Place in oven and roast, stirring once or twice, until skins are shriveled and grapes have become a bit jammy, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

For serving:

Unmold cheesecake from the springform pan. Top with roasted grapes. Slice and serve.

Blood Orange and Candied Fennel Upside Down Cake

Makes 1, 9” x 13” cake

Ingredients:

For the topping:

1 medium fennel bulb, thinly shaved on a mandoline

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 blood or navel oranges, peeled and sliced

For the cake:

4 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil

Fennel fronds for garnish, if desired

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9” x 13” pan. Evenly distribute blood orange slices on bottom of pan and set aside.

Place fennel, water, and sugar in a saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until fennel is translucent and liquid has become slightly syrupy. Strain fennel, reserving syrup for another use if desired. Spread fennel over the top of oranges in cake pan. Set aside to cool.

Add eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn on high speed and beat until eggs are fluffy and thick. They are done when you lift the whisk and the eggs fall back down in a “ribbon” and sit on top of the mixture for just a second before dropping down. Whisk in zest.

Sift flour over the top and gently (but quickly!) fold in. Fold in olive oil. Pour in to prepared pan and gently smooth top. Bake until golden brown and set in the center (cake should spring back when gently pushed in the center), approximately 25-35 minutes.

Remove from oven and set on cooling rack for 10 minutes. Gently run an offset spatula or butter knife around the edges of the cake. Place a large serving platter or cutting board on the top of the cake pan. Quickly turn the pan upside down while holding the platter in place. Remove cake pan. Let cool completely before serving. Garnish with fennel fronds if desired right before serving.

Balsamic Panna Cotta with Strawberry Basil Preserves

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the panna cotta:

1 teaspoon powdered gelatin

1 tablespoon water

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

For the preserves:

1 lb. fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries, hulled

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons chiffonade of basil, plus additional for garnish

Procedure:

Make panna cotta:

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1 tablespoons of water and let stand 10 minutes to bloom.  Heat balsamic vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan set over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil until syrup is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add gelatin mixture to remaining hot syrup in the saucepan and stir until dissolved. Add cream. Divide mixture equally among 4, 6-oz ramekins and chill until set, 2-3 hours or up to overnight.

Make preserves:

Place strawberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large saucepan and place on medium-high heat. Cook until strawberries have broken down and mixture has slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Right before serving, mix in basil.

To serve:

Divide preserves among 4 plates. Dip the bottom of each ramekin in a bowl of very hot water. Turn ramekin upside down on top of preserves. Serve, garnished with additional basil if desired.

Rosemary Poached Pears

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 firm Bosc or Anjou pears, peeled, halved, and cored

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large sprigs rosemary

1 cup walnuts, toasted

1 cup gorgonzola crumbles

Procedure:

In a large saucepan, combine wine, water, sugar, and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Add pears to the saucepan. Simmer until pears are tender and translucent, 10 to 30 minutes, depending on ripeness, ensuring they either stay submerged or are flipped regularly to cook evenly.  

Remove from heat, and let pears cool in poaching liquid. Refrigerate when cool. (Pears can be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance.)

When ready to serve, top each pear half with walnuts and gorgonzola and serve.

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