There’s a new cheese in town - The Best from Greece

Posted on: 02/Nov/2011 Cheesecake may be one of the most popular desserts the world over but why not try something different with cheese?

 There’s a new cheese in town

Cheesecake may be one of the most popular desserts the world over and it’s true that the conventional mascarpone-based tart is delicious, but why not try something different with cheese?
Celebrity patissier Stelios Parliaros goes all Greek with his suggestions for cheesy sweets, proposing that feta -- the crumbly white goat’s and/or sheep’s milk cheese that has become the trademark of Greek cuisine -- and anthotyro, its less pungent cousin, can beat the Italian creamy cheese any day. Below is his take on cheesecake and a recipe for an easy feta mousse, both of which, however, are best prepared a day before serving.


RECIPES
Anthotyro cheesecake
Ingredients (10-12 portions)

For the base
120 gr melted butter
250 gr wholegrain biscuits

For the cream
750 gr anthotyro
150 gr icing sugar
2 sheets gelatin (10 gr)
zest of 1 lemon

For serving
Honey to taste

Zap the biscuits in a blender or multi-food processor. Place in a bowl, add the melted butter and mix until smooth. Cover the bottom of a flat oven tray with baking paper and then place a 24 cm cake ring on top. Scoop in the mixture for the base and smooth it out using your hand so it’s even. Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius and cook the base for 10-15 minutes until it sets. Meanwhile, place the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water until they soften. Beat the cheese and the icing sugar in the blender until smooth. Remove the gelatin sheets to a small saucepan with 50 ml of water and heat until they melt. Add the gelatin mixture to the cream together with the zest of 1 lemon and mix gently until smooth. When the base is cooked, allow it to cool before spreading the cream evenly over it while it is still in the ring. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours until the cream sets. Serve with a generous dollop of honey on top.


Feta mousse with honey
Ingredients (8-10 slices)

For the mousse
500 gr mild, soft feta cheese
160 gr icing sugar
300 gr creme fraiche (35 percent fat), 200 gr of which should be whisked with a pinch of sugar until thick

For the honey syrup
300 gr honey
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp crushed sweet paprika
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Beat the feta and icing sugar in the blender until you get a smooth, firm mixture. Add 100 gr of creme fraiche and keep beating until smooth. Then add the 200 gr of creme fraiche that you had beat previously, folding it into the mixture gently with a spatula. Cover the bottom of a long cake tray (or 6-8 individual molds) with a piece of cheese cloth and pour in the mousse. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours until it sets. Before serving, remove from refrigerator and take the mousse out of the mold by tipping it onto a serving platter; the cheesecloth makes this very easy.
For the syrup, place the honey, cinnamon and sweet paprika in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of hot water and heat slowly, stirring constantly. When the honey begins to soften, but before the mixture comes to the boil, remove from heat. Let the sauce cool and then pour over the mousse before serving and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

 

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