Red Bell Pepper Cheesecake

The vegetable speaks up, which you’ll notice when you see the bright coral colour of the thing and again when you try it. What’s amazing is how much it tastes like the bell, and is still a dessert and a cheesecake. It’s just the right amount of savory to make you pause and wonder, and then the graham-cracker crust kicks in and it’s all childhood memories and flashes of Junior’s.
Tips
Note: All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Ingredients
3 | Red Bell Peppers |
5oz | Cream Cheese |
4 1/2 oz | Sugar |
1 pinch | Salt |
1/4 tsp | Vanilla |
3 | Eggs |
1 | Yolk |
2 oz | Yolk |
10 oz | Graham Cracker Crumbs |
4 oz | Sugar |
5 oz | Melted Butter |
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cut, de-seed and puree the peppers in a food processor or blender. In a small saucepan over low heat, cook the puree until it is thick and jammy. Let cool.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and sugar, salt and vanilla on low speed. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, mixing and scraping the bowl between additions to prevent lumps. Add heavy cream and mix until batter has a loose, pudding-like consistency (it should look like custard). Incorporate pepper puree.
3. Pour batter on top of prepared crust (see below). Bake until the cheesecake puffs up and is slightly set in the middle.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine the ingredients and press desired amount of crust into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake until crust becomes golden. Let cool before filling.