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Banana Goat Cheese Cake with Pistachio Crust

Banana Goat Cheese Cake with Pistachio Crust and Poached Plum Compote by Chef Ben Kramer of Lux SoléChef Ben Kramer,
Lux Solé

The goat cheese and plum textures give a velvety mouthfeel. Bittersweet notes from the plums follow, subsiding to a subtle banana flavour. Local dairy Bothwell Cheese supplies Chef Ben with a soft goat cheese that is subtler in taste than the firmer variety.

Ingredients
­Crust
1 cup pistachios, toasted and ground
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cake
1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup goat cheese
3/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
3 bananas
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Poached Plum Compote
1 1/2 lbs plums, pitted and sliced
3 cups red wine
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 whole nutmeg, cracked
1/4″ piece of cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves

Method
Crust

  1. Heat oven to 250˚F.
  2. Combine all ingredients and press into the bottom a 10″ springform pan. Bake for 8-10 min. Cool.

Cake

  1. Heat oven to 250˚F.
  2. In a bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and goat cheese until smooth.
  3. Add sugar and blend for 2 min.
  4. Add eggs, mixing just until incorporated.
  5. In a blender, purée bananas and vanilla. Add to batter.
  6. Lightly butter sides of the springform pan. Pour in batter.
  7. Bake in a water bath for 40-50 min. Cool.

Poached Plum Compote

  1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except plums. Simmer for 3 min. Remove from heat. Let sit 10 min.
  2. Add plums and return to heat. Gently poach fruit until soft. Remove plums.
  3. Garnish cut cheesecake with plums. Drizzle with syrup.

Yields 8-10 servings