Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes, including resting time
Serves 6
This cheesecake is a nod to the southern European tradition of celebrating Hanukkah with cheese.
INGREDIENTS
6 fresh bay leaves
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grated zest of 2 oranges, divided
11/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup honey (orange blossom if possible)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bay leaves in the center of the parchment in an 8-inch circular pattern.
In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, vanilla and half of the orange zest. Beat in the ricotta, then the flour. The mixture should form a thick batter. Scoop the batter onto the arranged bay leaves on the prepared baking sheet. Use a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the batter into an 8-inch circle over the bay leaves.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and puffy.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the honey and remaining orange zest. Heat for several minutes until thin and warmed.
When the cake is done baking, use a wooden skewer to poke holes in the top of the cheesecake. Drizzle a third of the warmed honey over the cake, letting it soak into the surface. Place a serving plate over the cake, then overturn so that the cake is on the plate. Use the skewer to poke holes in the surface again, then drizzle the rest of the honey over the cake.
Let the cheesecake rest for at least 30 minutes to allow the honey to soak in. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, then cut into 6 wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
Per serving: 240 calories; 90 calories from fat (38 percent of total calories); 10 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 90 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 16 g sugar; 11 g protein; 75 mg sodium.
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "Report Abuse" link to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand.
• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
• Don't flag other users' comments just because you don't agree with their point of view. Please only flag comments that violate these guidelines.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "Report Abuse" link to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them.
Order Reprint
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.