Considering how much I like, no, love it, I don’t make cheesecake very often. Perhaps that’s because I have yet to find a gluten-free crust that wows me? Or maybe because the New York style cheesecakes I usually make are so heavy and dense that each slice feels like a gut-buster, sitting in the pit of my stomach for hours?
This Finnish crustless cheesecake solves both of those issues: it’s rather light, almost custardy in texture, and barely sweetened. Even better? It reminds me very much of a cheesecake my Eastern European grandmother made when I was a child. She added pineapple to hers, which I plan on trying next time, but some thinned cranberry sauce and whipped cream did the trick this time.
Rahkapaistos- Finnish Crustless Ricotta Cheesecake
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients:
* butter, for greasing pan
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* 2 cups sour cream
* 2 Tablespoons sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 4 eggs
* fresh berries, jam or whipped cream for topping
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-1/2 inch cake pan.
Combine the ricotta cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract on a blender and process until smooth. Add the eggs and pulse several times- just enough to mix. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake until just set… for me this took a full 75-80 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly and the refrigerate. Serve with berries, jam and/or whipped cream, if desired.