Only the Finest of French Liqueurs!

Some of the best things in life are French--baguettes, laughing at other people's pain, charcuterie, I could go on for days. I also feel like some of the more classy things in life are French, the language, the wines, the cuisine...I realize this is coming from someone with a largely French heritage, but please keep in mind I watch NASCAR every Sunday, positively love McDonald's, and see no shame in eating peanut butter straight out of the jar, so I'm not exactly what you'd call "upper-crust." The only thing I consider myself to be high class in regard to is when it comes to my choice of fancy liqueurs. In particular, fancy French liqueurs. I knew my stomach and I wanted to make a cheesecake since it had been awhile, and I wanted to try another with a gelatin topper. It also had to be a boozy cheesecake topped with fruit ensconced in boozy gelatin...you know, Jello shots, but make it classy.

Even that font is pretentiously French.

Okay, I realize I say this a lot, but this is the best cheesecake I've ever made and/or eaten. For those not familiar, Chambord is a raspberry liqueur, so this cheesecake is essentially a boozy raspberry cheesecake. It is rich, but not too rich (if it were part of France's caste system, it would definitely be a cheesecake with some form of nobility), and that Chambord finish is absolute perfection. It's nice and creamy with a zing of raspberry, and the gelatin topper is pretty nifty, too. That layer also has Chambord in it, so every bite will bring forth the maximum raspberry flavor potential. To boot, the gelatin layer gives it a cute little wiggle like it's waving hello every time you take a forkful...I like a cheesecake that's polite and delicious. It's also LOW CAL! Yep, only 250 calories a slice for 8 slices total. I'm probably breaking some ancient French law by creating a decadent dessert with less than 80 pounds of cheese and fewer than 6,000 calories, but c'est la vie.

Sacrebleu, she's even using light butter.

I realize that some people are just here to enjoy my witty repartee, but for the three of you actually here because you regularly like to bake my recipes, 1. Truly, you're fabulous, and I appreciate you, and 2. I know not everyone has to be gluten free or sugar free, so I'm going to offer substitutions in my ingredients lists below. To make the crust, you'll need:

• 2 TBS (28 grams) light butter or regular butter (increase to 3 TBS if using regular Graham crackers and add 1TBS water...or dare I suggest, Chambord...)
• 2 TBS (24 grams) Lakanto classic monkfruit sweetener or regular sugar
• 1 cup (120 grams) of Kinnikinnick gluten free Graham crumbs or crushed Graham crackers
  

In a food processor, mix all these items together just until it forms a nice and crumbly paste. Preheat your oven to 375, then line an 8-inch Springform pan with Parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Gently press your crumbs into the bottom of the pan. I don't like a huge crust up the sides of my cheesecake, so if you do, double the recipe above. I like to grease the bottom of a measuring cup and gently press it into the crumbs to make an even crust layer. Bake this for 10-15 minutes, until nice and golden (mine is usually ready around 12 minutes, but all ovens differ). Lower your oven temp to 350 and let the crust cool completely while you make your cheesecake filling.

That Chambord bottle is so out of place with these commoners.

I've tweaked my base cheesecake recipe again because I felt like using cottage cheese as a replacement for cream cheese yielded cakes that would only stay good enough to eat for the first day or two because they would get soggy. Maybe I wasn't straining my cheese for long enough, but I knew I wanted a cheesecake that wouldn't have to get thrown away (tabernac!), so I went with a new ratio of cream cheese to strained yogurt. We are several days in, and the cheesecake isn't remotely soggy, so this is how we do things now. You need:

• 8 ounces of 1/3 the fat cream cheese at room temp
• 1/2 cup (96 grams) Lakanto classic monkfruit or regular sugar
•  14 ounces (398 grams) of fat free Greek yogurt, strained* overnight. You can use any flavor you'd like--raspberry would be an EXCELLENT choice. I used Dannon Light + Fit vanilla.
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) Chambord (if you don't want to use alcohol, try a raspberry juice concentrate)
  
• 1 tsp (12 grams) vanilla extract
• 3 eggs at room temperature
  

*Strain your yogurt overnight by placing cheesecloth or super absorbent paper towels (I use Viva) in a medium sieve. Place this over a bowl, and plop your yogurt on top of the paper towels. Cover and place in the fridge to strain. 

Double check that you've lowered your oven temp to 350. Whip the cream cheese and sugar in a stand mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the yogurt, mixing on medium-high until incorporated. Add in the Chambord and extract, giving a good mix. Now, add each egg, one at a time, while mixing on low speed to prevent air bubbles from forming that can crack your cheesecake during baking. Once all eggs have been added, set your batter aside and prepare your pan for a water bath.

This prevents the dreaded soggy bottom during bathing.

I take three large sheets of foil, overlapping, and fold it over the sides of my pan. Then I take TWO crockpot liners and double bag this...I used to only use one bag, but these liners just aren't as sturdy as they used to be. It never fails water will get in the first bag, but not the second.

I will do anything to keep my cheesecake safe.

Now, pour your batter in the pan. Place your Springform pan into a large roasting pan, and fill this up with 4-6 cups of STEAMING HOT water. The bath also helps prevent cracks in the cheesecake and allows for more even cooking. Bake your cheesecake at 350 for 1 hour and 20 minutes. There should still be some jiggle at the center of the cheesecake, but the sides should be set. Turn the oven off at this point, crack the door, and let the cheesecake finish baking for 1 additional hour.

Big old fat BONJOUR! to the most beautiful cheesecake I've ever pulled out of the oven.

After, let your cheesecake rest on a cooling rack until it comes to room temp. I like to run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan at this point, then I cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set overnight. I would give it at least 4 hours before you put your gelatin layer on top.

More Chambord! Lord!

The gelatin layer isn't difficult to make, it's the timing part that becomes a real pain in the derrière. More on that later. You need:

• 3/4 cup of soda water, tonic water, regular water, sparkling wine, sparkling fruit juice, your choice. I used Zevia calorie-free tonic water.
• 1/4 cup of Chambord
• 0.25 oz of gelatin (one packet)
• 1 cup of water
• 2 TBS (24 grams) Lakanto classic monkfruit or sugar

You can play around with the liquids here. Next time I'd use more booze, maybe 50:50 tonic to liqueur. It does "bake out" some when you boil it, so the flavor is more mellow. Start by placing 1/2 cup of the tonic in a large bowl and sprinkle a packet of gelatin on top. Let this rest for 5 minutes while you bring your remaining 1/4 cup tonic, 1/4 cup Chambord, and 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, add the sugar and whisk until dissolved. Now, carefully pour this on top of the bowl with the gelatin. Whisk until no lumps remain, then pour into an 8x8 pan and place in the fridge to start to set. Give this a stir every 10 minutes or so. Once it starts to thicken, it'll be ready to pour on top of your cheesecake. It took 35-40 minutes for me. I pulled out of the fridge at 40, and it was starting to get clumpy and a little difficult to work with. I wish I had pulled it out at 35 minutes, so keep a close eye on it while you layer your cheesecake with fruit.

This started with so much promise.

I just used blackberries and raspberries to make little concentric circles. I pressed my fruit in the top of my cheesecake firmly, but my raspberries were not heavy enough to keep from floating away when I added the gelatin on top. My blackberries were HUGE, so the gelatin layer didn't cover them completely either. Should have cut them in half. I was SUPER frustrated to watch the actual fruits of my labor go floating away during the final step of this cheesecake. But, when in Paris, do as the Parisienne's do, complain about it and then take a nap.

Pardon my French, but damn this got messy!

I used an acetate collar to keep the gelatin from making its way down the sides of my cheesecake. I always like to place this on a baking sheet in case things go really, really wrong, and then my whole counter isn't covered in boozy, sticky Jello. I placed my gelatin into a liquid measuring cup to slowly pour it on top of the cheesecake, but it was so viscous that it turned into a flood situation for my poor little fruit circles...away they floated, leaving me with what you see above. Again, if I had pulled it out of the fridge when it was more like a hot syrup consistency and not cold syrup consistency, my fruit would've stood a better chance of, well, standing in place. Once you've topped your cheesecake with the gelatin, return to the fridge to set for 3-4 hours. Then you can run a knife around the edge of the acetate sheet, gently remove, and take the cheesecake out of the Springform pan for final plating.

I mean, it still looks bougie enough to eat.

And a slice on its own is a real showstopper, merci beaucoup!

Considering the taste, I have no regrets!

I mean, super French Frenchy Napoleon Bonaparte did once say, "Victory belongs to the most persevering," and I feel like the gelatin layer took me to battle, but I soldiered on. Did Chambord exist during Napoleon's days? I feel like he would've drank that stuff out of a gold chalice while mocking, well, everyone else for not being as French as him. Anyway, I am here to reassure you that janky fruit layer aside, this is a cheesecake that will change your life. It is the right mix of tart raspberry, creamy vanilla, and a lovely buttery crust. The fresh fruit on top mixed in that boozy gelatin is so, so dreamy, and it was worth every minute of work to make this beauty. I'm not even finished with this cheesecake yet, and I'm already planning on putting it back into the rotation for dessert again next month. I might even try adding in a raspberry puree plus Chambord swirl...big ideas for big desserts. Consider me the Marie Antoinette of baking because I just wanna let everyone eat (cheese)cake. 'Til next time, my fellow eaters!

This cheesecake is definitely a dessert revolution, Marie.