half baked cheesecake.

I got this recipe from a french desserts book which is in chinese. Basically, there's a layer of creme brulee at the bottom and then a Japanese souffle cheesecake baked on top. I guess it's called "half baked" because the creme brulee has a custardy texture similar to unbaked batter? Or perhaps because it's half-creme brulee, half-cheesecake.

I got suckered in by the novelty and cute factor (the picture showed them baked in little espresso-cup-like molds) and the fact that I had a gagillion, okay fine, four, egg yolks to use up. I like creme brulee and souffle cheesecakes separately but together, I'm not so sure. It's not because they taste bad as a whole, but rather as the slightly tangy cheesecake overwhelms the much mellower creme brulee. Plus, there was only a 1/2 inch thick layer of creme brulee so when eaten together with the cheesecake, you can't really discern it out. Maybe if I'd increased the ratio of custard to cake to an even 50-50, the overall dessert would be much more balanced.

Oh and please never try using cottage cheese in place of cream cheese in a souffle cheesecake. I did that just to finish up the last few spoonfuls and because the curds didn't smooth out, the final cheesecake was lumpy and awkward.

I'm not going to include a recipe but you can still try it out by your own reliable creme brulee and Japanese souffle cheesecake recipe. Prepare the creme brulee first, dividing the custard amongst small ramekins or even jars like I did. I would advise you to fill them up to a point where after baking the cheesecake on top, you would get an even ratio of creme brulee to cheesecake. After baking, let them cool. You can prepare this a day ahead.

Next, prepare the cheesecake batter, pour on top of the creme brulee and bake. When they're done, cool completely before refrigerating until completely chilled, a few hours or preferably overnight. Before serving, top with fresh fruit if you like.