I'm not much of a wine-drinker but my sweet tooth draws me irresistably to a Canadian specialty, cidre de glace (ice cider). If you haven't heard of ice cider before, it can best be described as a close cousin of ice wine, another Canadian specialty. Cidre de glace tastes great with apple, caramel, and spices. On the savory side, its sweetness offsets mild goat cheese beautifully. For this Fabulous Favorites Festival cohosted by Alberto and Lenndevours, I would like to prepare a composed dessert that highlights these flavours.
My favourite cidre de glace is the Signature Special Reserve made by Domaine Pinnacle. However, since the winery only makes a limited number, it is rarely seen outside of a few specialty stores in Quebec. However, during my annual ski trip to Mont Tremblant, I can always get a few bottles of the regular cidre de glace at the SAQ store inside the resort village.
Goat-Cheese Cheesecake and Caramelized Apple Sorbet paired with Domaine Pinnacle 2003 Ice Cider
Caramelized Apple Sorbet (adapted from Pierre Hermé Plaisirs Sucrés)
Ingredients
- 700g tart baking apples (I used a mixture of Granny Smith, Empire, and Golden Delicious)
- 80g granulated sugar
- 15g unsalted butter
- a pinch of salt
- 40mL heavy cream
- 100mL non-alcoholic apple cider
Method
- Preheat oven to 400F. Peel, core, and quarter the apples.
- Make a dry caramel with the granulated sugar. When the caramel turns a deep amber, remove from heat and stir in butter, salt, and cream. The caramel will sputter and bubble violently.
- Toss caramel with apples and spread into a glass baking dish. Bake for 30min. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
- Puree the caramelized apples using an immersion blender or food processor. Stir in apple cider and chill in refrigerator overnight.
- Process sorbet as per ice-cream maker's instruction.
Goat-Cheese Cheesecake (adapted from The Last Course by Claudia Fleming)
Ingredients
- 155g cream cheese, room temperature
- 112g unripened mild-flavour goat cheese, room temperature
- 50g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g mascarpone cheese
- 2 large eggs
Method
- Preheat oven to 250F. Have a 6-hole 70mm demi-sphere flexipan ready.
- In a standmixer using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, goat cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the mascarpone cheese and beat until there's no lumps in the batter. Do not overbeat as the mascarpone cheese would seperate. Beat in eggs one at a time until each is incorporated.
- Fill flexipan with batter and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the cheesecakes are set with only a slight jiggle in the centre.
- Chill the cheesecake in the freezer and unmold while it is frozen. Let the cheesecake defrost in the refrigerator. Just before serving, scoop a quenelle of caramelized apple sorbet and garnish with caramel sauce.
Technorati: IMBB26, cidre de glace, ice cider, dessert, cheesecake