This delicious ricotta dessert has a unique surprise inside, crunchy almond praline! Short on time? Make the praline up to a week ahead of time!

Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients
Base
- 1 cup + 3 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 7 tbsp Kalona SuperNatural Organic Unsalted Butter, chopped
Filling
- 2 cups cream cheese, chopped & softened
- 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese (make your own with Kalona SuperNatural Fresh Cheesemaking Kit)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
- organic lemon zest
- 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp organic cornstarch
- 1 bsp water
- 5 large organic eggs
Almond Praline
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup flaked almonds, toasted
Swiss Meringue
- 3 organic egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch of cream of tartar
- pinch of salt
Directions
Making the Cheesecake
- Preheat oven to 300.
- Butter sides and bottom of 2 1/2 x 9 inch non-stick cake pan. Line base with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and butter for about 1 minute until mixture forms rough clumps.
- Scatter dough evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan and press it to form a crust. Evenly prick the crust with a fork. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.
- Using the same bowl (no need to clean it), add cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, lemon juice, zest and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth.
- Add eggs and cornstarch mixture to filling, and blend until smooth.
- Pour filling into pan, tapping gently to remove bubbles.
- Set your cake pan on an edged cookie sheet and add 3/4-inch hot water.
- Bake between 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until set. (To check, jiggle pan. When the middle stops wiggling, it’s done.)
- Turn off oven and keep the cheesecake inside for about an hour.
- Refrigerate uncovered until chilled, cover until well chilled or overnight.
- Heat the bottom of the cake pan just long enough to melt the butter. Slide thin bladed knife around edges. Place a tart pan on top, flip and lightly tap the bottom of the cake pan to remove. Flip once more to place cake right side up on a cake plate.
- Decorate with almond praline and swiss meringue. (see below!)
Almond Praline
- Place the toasted almonds in a 6-inch square on a lined sheet pan. Aim for a single layer but touching each other. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add sugar and just enough water so it looks like wet sand. Set pan over medium heat.
- Swirl pan as needed to the sugar caramelizes evenly. Do not stir, only swirl.
- When sugar has an amber color, remove from heat and immediately pour over almonds. Coat as many as possible. Allow to cool.
- Once completely cooled, break into shards.
Swiss Meringue
- Add 2-inches of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, then simmer.
- While water is coming to a simmer, whisk together egg whites and sugar in a clean mixing bowl. Add cream of tartar and salt.
- Set bowl over the simmering water and using a rubber spatula, stir constantly until sugar has dissolved and white reach a temperature between 150-160 degrees.
(Note: the bowl cannot touch the water) - Remove bowl from water bath. With a mixer, whip the white until they are light, fluffy and have stiff peaks.
- Dollop meringue on top of cheesecake and create swirls or spikes with spatula.
- With a blow torch, toast the meringue until evenly browned.
This ricotta dessert recipe is courtesy of Chef Bret Bannon of Bret’s Table. Photo courtesy of David Schmit Photography.