From Cenador de Amos, a three-star restaurant in Cantabria, comes a chef's interpretation of the famous dessert, made with sablé breton, creamy cheese, and Camembert. "Just thinking about it makes us drool at the restaurant. When we celebrate a family member's or staff member's birthday, it's always a must-have."
Cove photo: Adobe Stock
The dessert
In a grand restaurant, there's not just the triumphant, Michelin-starred cuisine. There's also the daily kitchen for the team members, which, like in any home, can take on festive accents. "At Cenador de Amos, it drives us crazy, just the thought makes us start salivating," says chef Jesùs Sànchez about his Cheesecake recipe, shared for the benefit of his numerous followers under the heading "recipes with the basque," a hat he always wears.
"When we celebrate the birthday of a family member or team member, it can never be missing. Much has been written about this dessert, but I prefer it baked." The dessert, popular worldwide, can indeed be served cold or hot, cooked in various ways, or even with raw filling.
Sànchez chooses a classic sablé breton pastry, particularly crumbly and almost sandy, and two types of cheese, the classic creamy one and Camembert, for a touch of character. The pairing varies as much as the recipes, from Moscato d'Asti with creamier versions to a dessert wine or oxidative like Marsala, especially when the cheese is intense.
Jesus Sanchez's Basque cheesecake recipe
Ingredients
For the base (sablé breton)
- 125 g butter
- 120 g sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 160 g flour
- 11 g baking powder
- 3 g salt
Method
Mix together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks and incorporate them. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Divide the dough into 130-gram balls, roll them out using a rolling pin on a greased surface, and place them in a mold. Bake in an oven at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes.
For the cornstarch and vanilla base
- 50 g cornstarch
- 0.5 l milk
- 1 vanilla bean
Method
Infuse the vanilla bean in 400 ml of milk and let it rest. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining cold milk.
Heat the infused milk, and when it starts to boil, add the cornstarch mixture, stirring well until thick and smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.
For the cheese mixture
- 80 g Camembert cheese
- 250 g condensed milk
- 350 g pasteurized eggs
- 120 g cornstarch and vanilla base
- 650 g cream
- 450 g creamy cheese
Method
Combine all the weighed ingredients in the Thermomix. Mix at speed 5 and 60°C (140°F) for 15 minutes. Allow to cool in the refrigerator and fill the molds with 950 g of cake batter.
Bake for 10 minutes at 220°C (430°F) in a convection oven or for 15 minutes at 170°C (340°F) in a static oven.
Contacts
Cenador de Amós
Plaza del Sol, s/n, 39793 Villaverde de Pontones, Cantabria, Spain
Phone: +34 942 50 82 43
