Chef and cookbook author Louisa Shafia’s The New Persian Kitchen is filled with traditional and modern takes on Persian cuisine. You’ve seen cheesecake in every flavor and variation — except persimmon, right? Tangy, creamy goat cheese pairs perfectly with sweet, earthy persimmons for a truly impressive dessert.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups pistachios, toasted
- 1 cup crushed graham crackers
- 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- sea salt
- 5 very ripe hachiya persimmons
- 1 pound fresh goat cheese, at room temperature, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Directions
- Lightly oil a 10-inch springform pan with coconut oil.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream into stiff peaks. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside in the refrigerator. Replace the mixer bowl without washing.
- In a food processor, combine the pistachios and graham crackers with 3 tablespoons of the coconut oil, the cinnamon, the cardamom and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Add a pinch of salt and pulse until the mixture clumps easily. Transfer to the springform pan and spread evenly over the bottom. Press down with the bottom of a juice glass to pack it down evenly.
- Scoop the flesh from the persimmons and purée in a blender until smooth. Set aside 1/2 cup of the puree and store the rest in the refrigerator.
- Combine the goat cheese, the remaining 3/4 cup coconut oil, and the remaining 1 cup sugar in the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth. Fold in the 1/2 cup persimmon purée, the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Fold in the whipped cream. Pour the mixture into the springform pan and smooth the top. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, until firm.
- To serve, remove the pan sides and cut the cheesecake into wedges. Garnish each serving with a generous spoonful of the persimmon purée. The cheesecake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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