Savoury Baked Cheesecake with Quinoa Crust & Pickled Beets

Butter All-Purpose2 Tbs Flour 4 Tbs

Table Cream 18%, 3 cups

White Onion ½ , finely diced

Garlic 4 cloves, pressed or minced

Bay Leaf 1

Cayenne Pepper a pinch

Salt and Pepper a pinch each

Old White Cheddar Cheese 2 cups shredded

Egg Yolks 4

Quinoa Crust Butter ¼ cup Breadcrumbs 1 cup

Cooked Quinoa 1 cup Pickled Beets Beets 4 medium

White Onion ½ , diced

Brown Sugar 1 cup, packed

Apple Cider Vinegar 1 cup

Salt and Pepper ¼ tsp each

1 PICKLED BEETS: Boil beets in salted water until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool enough to handle. Peel, dice and place in a nonreactive bowl with the onions. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and vinegar to boil. Pour over beets and onions and stir in the salt and pepper. Let stand to cool. Strain and set aside.

2 QUINOA CRUST: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook the butter, stirring and swirling the pan occasionally, until butter smells toasty and is golden brown, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Stir in bread crumbs and quinoa, tossing to coat. Divide and press mixture into bottoms of six 1-cup (250 ml) mason jars or 1-cup (250 ml) ovenproof ramekins. Bake in 350°F oven until firm to touch and light golden, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to rack and let cool.

3 MEANWHILE, in medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in half of the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the cream. Whisk in onion, garlic, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and bring just to a boil, whisking often, until sauce is thickened, about 6 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes.

4 IN batches, transfer sauce to blender. Purée until smooth and place in clean bowl or stand mixer. Using electric beaters (or medium speed on stand mixer) beat in egg yolks one at a time. Beat in remaining flour. Pour mixture over crusts. Bake in 325°F oven until egg mixture is puffed, light golden on edges and cooked through, 25–30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with pickled beets.

THESE SAVOURY CHEESECAKES make a delicious meal for entertaining alongside a simple mixed green salad. Or, divide the mixture among twelve cup (125 ml) mason jars for a stunning appetizer. Decrease the baking time by about 10 minutes for the small...