Here is a goat-cheese cake with a layer of pineapple confit that has been steeped in bracing tequila. It’s a cake that does well when made in advance and chilled for 24 hours before serving. To sip alongside? An añejo tequila, of course.
Ingredients
- 1 large pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 cup silver tequila
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups ground almonds
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ¼ cups agave syrup
- 1 ¼ pounds soft plain goat cheese, like Montrachet
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 3 eggs, separated
8 to 10 servings
Preparation
- Finely chop pineapple in a food processor. You should come away with about 4 cups. Place in a saucepan, mix with tequila and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a little of the butter to brush the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Mix ground almonds with remaining butter and 2 tablespoons sugar, then press into bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes, until lightly tanned. Set aside to cool.
- Add 1/4 cup agave syrup to pineapple in saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer at a fast clip about 30 minutes, until fruit turns jamlike and most of the liquid is gone. Set aside.
- Beat or process goat cheese and remaining 1 cup agave syrup until well blended. Add lime juice and egg yolks and beat or process until mixed. Whip egg whites until softly peaked, dust with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and beat until firm. Fold into goat cheese mixture.
- Spread pineapple over almond crust. Top with goat cheese mixture. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned and threatening to crack a bit around the edges. Allow to cool to room temperature before removing sides of pan and serving.
2 hours
Dining and Cooking