Together with our dear friend and talented photographer Marieke Verdenius we hosted “The Gatherists” at the studio last weekend and it was such a wonderful and cozy day with a very lovely group of people. Marieke founded the Gatherists and initiated it to bring creative people together, to create a space where people meet offline instead of online and where real connections and even friendships can be made. We absolutely love that concept and it was a joy to host an edition together and meet so many kind and inspiring people around the table.
Nora baked the most delicious cakes - a gluten-free pumpkin pear cake and this incredible gluten-free cheesecake with caramel and hazelnuts for which we are sharing the recipe with you guys today, just scroll down. It’s really a tasty cake for the Christmas days, so festive and really just such a treat!
Thanks to our dear collaborators Lovely Linen and Kinto the table was dressed with the most wonderful table linen and the most beautiful table- and glassware.
Lovely Linen offers all our readers 15 % off their entire linen collection with the code FS15, so have a look if you are still in search for a beautiful Christmas present.
We hope you guys enjoy the recipe and we would love to welcome you at the next event at St. Oak Apartments.
Gluten-Free Cheesecake with Caramel and Hazelnuts
Ingredients for a 26cm springform pan
(Ideally, bake the cake the night before)
Gluten-Free Crust
200g gluten-free cake flour mix
1 tsp baking powder
65g cane sugar
1 pinch of salt
80g softened butter
1 egg (medium or large)
Quark Filling
600g quark (or farmer’s cheese)
250g mascarpone
200g sour cream
300g heavy cream
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks (medium/large)
225g sugar
1 pinch of ground vanilla
52g cornstarch
Caramel (with Gingerbread Spice)
200g sugar
200ml heavy cream
70g butter
1 tsp cinnamon or gingerbread spice (both optional and depending on the season)
1 pinch of salt
Topping
20-30 hazelnut kernels
Crust and Filling
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper and butter the sides. In a mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut the softened butter into small pieces and knead together until crumbly. Then knead in the egg and, if needed, a few tablespoons of cold water to make the pastry smoother. Spread the pastry very thinly on the bottom and sides of the springform pan, pressing it down firmly. Briefly chill in the refrigerator. For the filling, combine all ingredients except the cornstarch. Do not overmix, then briefly stir in the cornstarch (overmixing will cause the filling to rise too much). Pour the filling into the springform pan and tap the bottom of the pan a few times. Bake the cheesecake for 50-60 minutes (it’s done when lightly browned). Then turn off the oven, place a wooden spoon in the door and let the cheesecake cool slowly until the next day or for a few hours.
While the cheesecake is baking or cooling, prepare the caramel.
Caramel
To make the caramel, melt the sugar in a saucepan, stirring gently only at the very end until completely melted. The liquid sugar should not darken, as this will make it bitter. Gradually and very slowly whisk in the heavy cream. Stir in the butter in small pieces and season the caramel with cinnamon or gingerbread spice and a pinch of salt. Simmer the caramel for 3-4 minutes, then let it cool for a few hours until thickened (if you’re in a hurry, place the caramel in a metal bowl in the refrigerator or freezer). On the next day, spread the caramel on the cheesecake, then decorate with finely chopped hazelnuts and whole hazelnut kernels.
Looks delicious! Definitely baking this soon!
Gorgeous concept behind The Gatherists, prioritizing real offline connection instead of digital networking feels rare these days. The detailwork in this recipe is impressive too, specifically the carmelization note about not darkening the sugar to aviod bitterness. That level of precison makes all the difference between a good dessert and something memorable.