by Austin Coe Butler
Have you ever had a bite of cheese you’ve just wanted to keep eating over and over again? This is that bite, scaled to the size of a no bake cheesecake. Brillat-Savarin, a luxurious and silken triple-creme from Burgundy is whipped to a fluffy, mouselike cloud to rest on an Effie’s Oak Cake base and topped with a glistening black berry jam glaze. It’s at the intriguing intersection of a cheesecake, icebox cake, and your favorite cheeseboard. This is the perfect dessert to serve the cheese lovers in your life.
This recipe makes one large cheesecake in a 9 inch springform pan, but you can easily portion it out into smaller ring molds or other formats if you’re looking for individual bars. You can easily modify this recipe when it comes to the jam or the cheese. Consider trying it with another bloomy rind like Caseificio dell’Alta Langa’s Robiola Bosina or your favorite mild Brie-style cheese. For jams, try Inna’s other flavors like Flavor King pluot, Albion strawberry, Blenheim apricot, or, might we even suggest our favorite pairing with Brillat-Savarin, their Fresno Chili jam?
When using the Brillat-Savarin, you can either leave the rind on or remove it entirely. Removing the rind will give you a less “cheesy” flavor. If you’ve never tried the rind on Brillat before though, I’d encourage you to try a spoonful of the Brillat, rind and all, to taste. From that flavor, you’ll be able to decide what course of action is right for you and your company. There’s no wrong choice.
1 whole wheel (500g) Brillat-Savarin
1 box (7.2 oz) Effie’s Oatcake
2.5 oz (100 g) sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
4 sheets gelatin
1/2 jar (5oz) Inna Triple Crown Blackberry jam
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons water
To make the Oat Cake base, roughly crush the Oat Cakes and add them to a food processor. Pulse until fine and sand-like. Melt the butter and add it to the Oat Cakes. Pulse once more to mix thoroughly. Transfer this Oat Cake mix to a pan and press it into a compact, even layer. Reserve in the refrigerator.
Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and refrigerate. Beat the sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl to dissolve the sugar, about four minutes. Add the Brillat-Savarin and lemon zest and mix on medium high until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Bloom 3 sheets of gelatin in a bowl of water until rehydrated and soft, about a minute. Remove any excess moisture by squeezing the gelatin, then microwave it in a small bowl until liquid, just two or three seconds. Add the gelatin to the cheese mixture and mix thoroughly. Lastly, fold in the whipped cream. Pour the cheese mixture onto the Oat Cake base and level it out. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
To make the glaze, start by blooming and melting the last sheet of gelatin following the instructions above. Meanwhile, melt the jam with a the water in a pot over low heat until just starting to bubble. Add the liquid gelatin to the jam and stir to combine. Pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove any seeds and pulp. Cool the jam glaze for at least 10 minutes. Pour it over the cheesecake in a thin layer and refrigerate for an hour until set.
To serve, use a knife warmed in hot water to cut a wedge. Garnish with black berries or the fruit of your choice and enjoy immediately.