Recipe courtesy Kyle Mussman, The Marc
From Edible Seattle November/December 2012
Although this cake contains no sugar, it makes a lovely dessert. You could also serve it as a cheese course if you wish. Be sure to use Marcona almonds; their extra oil and salt add flavor and help turn this into an excellent gluten- and sugar-free crust.
7 ounces Marcona almonds, divided use
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
8 ounces completely softened cream cheese
3 ounces bleu cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream
balsamic vinegar, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 6″ springform cake pan, and wrap the exterior of the pan in aluminum foil.
In the work bowl of a food processor, roughly chop 1/3 cup almonds. Set aside in a small bowl. In the same work bowl, puree the remaining 1/2 cup of almonds until thick and paste-like. Scrape into a mixing bowl. Blend in the rough-chopped almonds and the grated cheese. Press the mixture into the prepared cake pan in an even layer across the bottom and slightly up the sides. Bake for approximately 8 minutes, rotating halfway through to ensure even browning.
Remove from the oven, reduce the oven’s temperature to 300 degrees. Rest the crust at room temperature while you prepare the filling.
Combine the cream cheese, bleu cheese and sour cream in the work bowl of the food processor until smooth and well mixed. Add the egg and the cream, and pulse until the egg yolk has no streaks remaining in the batter. Pour into the baked almond crust.
Place the foil-wrapped cake pan in a shallow roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water to about 2/3 the height of the cake pan. Place carefully in the oven, and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155°; it will not be completely set when it’s warm, but will firm up as it cools. Let it chill completely before serving, and drizzle the plate with the best balsamic vinegar you can find.
gluten-free • vegetarian