Gluten Free Orange Cheesecake with Chocolate Sauce

Well- I hope none of you were actually banking on those no-buy holiday gifts I promised.  If anyone noticed I was gone, it was because of the crushing wave of finals. If you didn't notice, well.... welcome back.

Today we have a treat. A big one. It surely isn't the easiest recipe, and it is a bit time consuming-- but it packed enough Kefi for both my debut Chanukah party (thanks Emmy and Ben!) and for a trip to BF Kef's hometown (Staten Island!).

If any of you are going to make it, I'd love to know if subbing Greek yogurt for sour cream works- so let me know!

I adapted this recipe to make it gluten-free from this one. You'll need a springform pan, a roasting pan deep and wide enough for your springform, and a zester.

Crust

• 1 egg, separated
• 1 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp orange zest
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• 1¼ c almond flour (you can make this by throwing almonds in a food processor)
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1/2 c butter

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Butter a springform pan and line with parchment paper. I do this by taking out the bottom, tracing and cutting a circle, and then making it "stick" with butter.  Do you have to use a springform pan? Probably not, but you will lose a lot of your delicious side crust in a regular pan.

2. Whisk together egg yolk, lemon juice, orange and lemon zest and vanilla and set aside. Throw almond flour and sugar in food processor and pulse for 30 secs, then add butter and blend until you get something that looks like coarse crumbs.

3. Add the yolk mixture and blend until a dough forms. Pour into readied springform pan, and press evenly across  the bottom and ½ inch up the sides. Freeze for 10 minutes.

4. Whisk the egg whites until foamy and brush them lightly over the surface of the crust. Bake 15 minutes in the centre of the oven or until the crust is a light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack while you assemble the filling.

Filling

• 1 c of fresh squeezed orange juice (3 oranges make almost 1 cup--I made up the difference with Grand Marnier)
• 1 c sugar, separated
• 2 TBS orange zest
• 32 oz packages of cream cheese
• 8 oz sour cream
• 3 TBS almond flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 5 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Layer 4-5 large pieces of aluminum foil and then wrap the bottom of your springform pan to make it waterproof, making sure it is clear for pouring battle in. Set a wire cooling rack big enough to hold your springform in the bottom shelf of your fridge.

2. Mix orange juice, ¼ cup of sugar and the orange zest in a small saucepan.  Boil mixture until the sugar dissolves, then simmer on medium heat until about ¾ cup remains (15-20 minutes). Place in refrigerator to cool.

3. Beat cream cheese and ¾ cup of sugar until smooth in a stand mixer. Add the sour cream, almond flour flour and salt and mix until incorporated. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the orange syrup and blend until well combined. Pour the batter over the prepared crust.

4. Put aluminum-covered springform in roasting pan.  Fill roasting pan with hot water half way up the side of the springform pan (carefully--the cheesecake doesn't so much care for water!)

5. Bake for 75 min, or until the center of the cheesecake is set. Remove the foil and place the pan immediately in your refrigerator to cool on the wire rack. Leave in the pan until it is ready to serve--it should be allowed to sit at least 8 hours.  When ready to serve, run a knife along the outside edge of pan and unsnap to reveal a delicious cake.  Garnish with chocolate sauce below.

Sauce

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 to 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier (optional)

1. Allow cream to simmer in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat.  Remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter.  Whisk until smooth, then whisk in Grand Marnier if you'd like.