Image by Zero-X
DAY 1:
Begin your preparations in the afternoon or evening.
- Soak 1 kg raw almonds in water for about 24 hours.
- Pit 1 kg fresh dark cherries, drizzle with 3 T raw honey and allow to stand overnight.
- Prepare aromatic yogurt* and incubate for 24 hours.
DAY 2:
In the morning strain the cherries out of the cherry juices. Place the juice and honey into a pan with half a vanilla pod (scraped), 1 clove and 1 small stick of cinnamon and reduce to a syrup (more honey can be added if necessary). When the syrup is reduced, add in the cherries and allow to cook for around 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Pour the cherries into a large glass or ceramic dish and set out in the hot sun to further reduce the syrup.
In the evening strain and rinse the almonds and put them in a low oven or dehydrator for 12 to 24 hours or until crispy.
The yogurt will be ready by evening and now can be strained into home-made cream cheese, overnight.
Now all of your mis en place is in place and you are ready to make the cheesecake.
DAY 3:
Crust:
- 2c almond flour (I grind my nuts in a coffee or spice grinder to make flour)
- 1/3 c honey
- 1/2 c butter
- 1 egg
- 2 pods cardamom (remove the seeds and grind with the almonds)
- Pinch salt
Method:
Mix the honey and butter together. Add in the egg and beat. Add the almond flour, cardamom and salt and beat. Press into the bottom of a cake pan and bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly browned at about 250 degree oven. Remove from oven.
Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 c (500g) home-made aromatic cream cheese
- 1/2 c honey
- 4 eggs
- pinch salt
Method:
Beat the cream cheese and honey until smooth. Add in the eggs one by one, beating well after adding each one. Pour over the lightly baked crust and bake at 100 degrees F for 2 hours.
Chill well before serving (if you can resist it).
To serve, pour over the cake the cherry syrup and serve the cherry compote on the side.
