Strawberry Rhubarb Cottage Cheese Cheesecake with an Oat & Almond Press In Crust
You’ll fall in love with the lighter texture of this amazing cheesecake. A simple topping with luscious Spring Rhubarb and Strawberries add just the right tart-sweet flavor and gorgeous color!
Servings: 14 servings
Equipment
- 1 9" springform pan
- 1 Large 12" x 12" (or up to 18"L ) pan with 2" high sides
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
- 1 cup organic rolled oats gluten free if desired
- 1/2 cup sliced natural almonds
- 1/4 cup flaked coconut unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar can use other sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon natural almond extract organic
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter organic, melted and cooled a little
Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 pounds small curd cottage cheese 4% fat (will be strained)
- 4 large eggs pasture raised are fabulous
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/4 cups pure cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 recipe Strawberry Rhubarb Topping
Instructions
- You will need: 1, 9" springform pan and 1 Large 12" x 12" (or up to 18"L ) pan with 2" high sides (for holding the cake)
The Crust:
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit on the bottom of the springform pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add oats, almonds, coconut sugar to a small food processor - pulse until almost finely ground, with some texture. Add cinnamon, sea salt, almond extract and melted butter - pulse until combined. Pat the crust over the parchment - use the bottom of a measuring cup to help smooth. Bake for 15 minutes until nicely golden brown.
- Add water to a kettle - bring to a boil, turn down to low so it is ready when you need it. Turn down oven temperature to 325 degrees.
In the meantime make the Filling:
- Add the cottage cheese to a large fine mesh strainer over a bowl to fit (see photo in blog.) Use a spatula and press gently on the cottage cheese, forcing the liquid to fall to the underneath pan. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Add the drained cottage cheese - will have 3 1/4 cups (3/4 cup liquid remaining discarded) to the carafe of a blender. Add eggs, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, sea salt and gluten free all purpose flour. Cover the blender - blend until very smooth, from low speed to high (I use a Vitamix.) Blend for 1 minute for a creamy and light filling. (I find if you blend too much, the cake might crack from over developing the filling.)
- Pour the filling into the cooked crust. Place the cake into the larger pan with 2 " high sides. Pour the boiling water into the pan, careful not to get any into the cake, place in the middle of the oven.
Time to Bake in a Waterbath:
- Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour. Then turn the heat off. After 10 minutes, crack the oven door open half way, and let the cake settle for 20 minutes. Should feel firm, with a slight golden color. Remove cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate until cold, covered with plastic wrap (I add a layer of waxed paper first.)
- Make the Strawberry Rhubarb Topping while the cake bakes. Spoon all over the top, and refrigerate until ready to enjoy!
- The cake stays fresh for up to a week. The crust can get soggy after that. Good idea: If not serving the whole cake - cut a piece off and portion it, freeze and enjoy for days to come. Defrost in the refrigerator.
Notes
See Recipe: Karen's Strawberry Rhubarb Topping
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 1mg