It's not easy to replicate Tarta de queso, but the recipe from the great Madrid chef will give you a dessert that is definitely out of the ordinary. A recipe “with two hearts and four hands,” created together with his partner Cristina Pedroche.
The dessert
The browned crust acts as a “springboard” for a soft dip, which couldn't be any softer: splashing around in the cream cheese of the Tarta de queso is probably one of the most deeply rooted guilty pleasures in the Spanish imagination, with a good spread even beyond the border. Dabiz Muñoz, a juggler of different formats, knows this well. With his GOXO, he has pushed the boundaries of homemade delicacies, often favoring palatability over technique.
Of course, browsing through the gallery on the website of the same name makes your mouth water just seeing the parade of ethnic lasagna, pad thai with pancetta, and duck and crab rolls, but a place of honor goes to this reinterpretation of Iberian cheesecake, the result of a collaboration (including culinary) with his partner Cristina Pedroche.
The two decided to share a recipe “with two hearts and four hands” with those who love to dabble in the preparation of tempting spoon desserts. A little spoiler: many were surprised by the presence of grated Parmesan cheese, which serves to balance the flavor. Among the ingredients, you will need a generous dose of patience and relative precision to manage the countdown in front of the oven. However, we can guarantee that the result will be worth the effort!
The recipe
Ingredients
For the base
- 150 g digestive biscuits, crumbled
- 90 g melted butter
For the filling
- 100 g fresh cheese
- 500 g cream cheese
- 5 large eggs
- A pinch of salt
- 200 g sugar
- 10 g cake flour
- 250 g liquid cream for desserts
- 80 g grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC
- Line a 20 cm round cake tin with baking paper.
- Mix the crumbled biscuits with the melted butter and pour the mixture into the bottom of the cake tin, spreading it evenly over the entire surface and pressing down with the bottom of a glass or other utensil to make the base of the cake firm.
- In a large bowl, start beating the cream cheese with the fresh cheese. Add the eggs, salt, sugar, and flour and beat everything together. Stir in the cream and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It is not necessary to beat each ingredient for a long time; it is sufficient that they are mixed together and form a smooth, homogeneous cream.
- Pour the filling onto the biscuit base and bake for 30 minutes at 190°C (375°F) with fan-assisted heat above and below. After 30 minutes, set the grill (top heat only) to maximum power and bake for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the biscuits are well toasted.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
