Cherry Cheesecake

To make the cherry cheesecake, start by preparing the base: melt the butter over very low heat and let it cool. Place the biscuits in a food processor 1 and run the blades until finely ground into a fine powder; transfer the mixture to a bowl 2 and pour in the cooled butter 3. Mix everything together.

Pour the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper 4 and, using the back of a spoon, press the mixture firmly onto the bottom of the pan to form a compact and smooth base 5. Let the mixture rest in the freezer for at least half an hour so that the base becomes solid. Meanwhile, proceed with the topping preparation: wash and pit 2 lbs of cherries 6.

Set aside about twenty 7 which you can slice 8. Put the remaining cherries (approximately 1.7 lbs) in a saucepan and add the sugar 9.

Grate the zest of one lemon 10, mix 11, and pour in 1/3 cup of lemon juice 12.

Stir again and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat 13, then drain the cherries and set them aside to cool, collecting the syrup obtained from cooking, which will be divided into two parts 14: 1/4 cup will go into the cream, 1 1/4 cups will be used for the final topping. Move on to the cream: sift the ricotta 15.

Add the cream cheese 16, then add the seeds from a vanilla bean and the powdered sugar 17 and mix to combine everything 18.

Soak 0.4 oz of gelatin sheets in a bowl with cold water for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup of syrup in a saucepan 20; when it is hot, turn off the heat and add the squeezed gelatin 20. Stir to dissolve completely and let it cool slightly before adding it to the cream cheese mixture 21.

Also add the 20 cherries set aside, sliced 22, and mix everything vigorously from top to bottom 23. Now take the compacted base, pour in the cream 24, and store the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Soak another 0.4 oz of gelatin in cold water (as done previously) and meanwhile heat the remaining cherry syrup (1 1/4 cups) in a saucepan 25. Once hot, turn off the heat and add the squeezed gelatin 26, stirring thoroughly to dissolve it completely 27.

Once the mixture has cooled, pour it over the cooked cherries 28, stir and pour everything over the now set cheesecake 29. Use a spatula to distribute the cherries evenly on the surface, then refrigerate for about 2-3 hours before enjoying your cherry cheesecake 30!