Orange Ricotta Cheesecake

It is the season of citrus fruits, no wonder there're a lot of recipes making use of it. 

Here comes another cheesecake, I'm not bored yet with cheesecakes & I hope you're not too. 

This time I used ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese which I always use, the texture is different as expected but the cheesecake is soft & heavenly smooth, topping with sweet yet tangy caramel oranges.  

What this recipe attracted me the most was the caramel orange with Grand Marnier. 

Ever since I pickled cherries with red wine, I've been attracted in using alcohols & wines for cakes. 

I'm also craving for caramel recently, so I thought this is a wonderful combination when i read through 'Food & Travel' magazine. 

I don't always buy food magazine as I prefer books with great photographs.
It doesn't mean that those magazine is not good, actually they're great, it tells you what's in season & certainly many inspirations indeed.

Recipe (8" round):

adapted from Food & Travel Magazine

Crust

100g digestive biscuit crumbs

40g unsalted butter (melted)

Mix the ingredients & press into a 8" springform pan, refrigerate before use.

Ricotta filling

500g ricotta cheese

250g quark

100g caster sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

3 large eggs

grated zest of 1 orange

2 tbsp Grand Marnier

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to150'C.

Beat cheese, quark, sugar, orange zest & Grand Marnier until smooth.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Sift in cinnamon & flour.

Bake in the oven for 30 min & leave to cool inside the oven.

Remove from the oven, refrigerate for at least 2 h before serving with the caramel oranges.

Caramel orange

50g caster sugar

2 oranges

60ml Grand Marnier

1 tbsp water

Remove orange peel & pith then cut into slices.

In a saucepan, heat the sugar until amber brown.

Carefully add the Grand Marnier & water, stir to dissolve the sugar on low heat.

Remove from heating, pour over the oranges.