These are easily the cutest little things I’ve ever made. And while you might be thinking that these would be great desserts for a fancy dinner party (and they absolutely would be, don’t get me wrong), I actually made them for breakfasts. You know, sometimes, I just get sick of eggs, and sweet stuff for breakfast is always fun. What you end up getting with these is a lovely sweet and tart, dense and creamy cheesecake, with a topping that almost turns to jelly after it’s refrigerated, and a nice hint of savory with the pine nuts and basil. And thanks to the sous vide, they’re perfectly cooked all the way through.
So let’s start with this sous vide thing. It literally translates to “under vacuum,” and it’s one of the coolest cooking processes ever. Keep an eye on this blog, as I’ll frequently post a good sous vide recipe.
I always joke that my sous vide carnitas are why I’m married, because I swear they made my husband fall in love with me. But I digress. The general premise behind sous vide cooking is that you cook your food in a vacuum sealed container in a water bath that is maintained at the same temperature throughout the cook. What this means is that you don’t have parts of the food that are overcooked or undercooked. It’s great for meats, and you can do some really fun egg dishes, custards, and the like. You’ll need a special apparatus to do it, though. I use the Sous Vide Supreme Demi, because I got it several years ago for a gift. It’s a tank, so I highly recommend it. But if you’re not willing to plop down that much money on a kitchen device, I have several friends who swear by the Anova.
You’ll also need some small lidded jars for this one. I prefer the ones with the two-part metal lids, because they’re less likely to leak. I use Ball jars, but there are tons of brands out there. Make sure you have 8 of them, with lids.
Okay, now that the equipment is covered, we can get to the actual recipe. First off, put the water in your sous vide and set it for 175 degrees Fahrenheit (about 80 Celsius). Check to make sure that the water level will come up just to the level of the top of the jar lids without covering them. Don’t be a dummy like me and forget about the concept of water displacement and have to use a ladle to scoop some out, too.
While the sous vide is heating up, start the ingredients. Since the compote requires cooking and cooling, you’ll want to start that first. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine a pint of blueberries, a tablespoon of granulated Swerve, six tablespoons of water, and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Chop 8 medium-sized basil leaves and put those aside. Heat that up, stirring occasionally, until the skins of the blueberries begin to pop and the liquid starts to boil. At this point, add the basil and continue stirring occasionally until the most of the blueberries have popped and the liquid turns deep purple and begins to thicken. At that point, let it boil for 5 minutes without stirring, then stir one remaining time and remove it from the heat. If you want, you can strain it through a fine-mesh strainer, but I like the texture as is.
Right after adding the basil.
The few minutes that the blueberry compote is boiling should be enough time to make the cheesecake batter. First, in a large mixing bowl, combine two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese with 1/2 cup of granular Swerve and about 3/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt. Use a hand mixer to blend it, scraping down the sides as you go. Add 3 large eggs and a teaspoon and a half of lemon juice, then mix again. Finally, add 1/4 cup each of heavy cream and sour cream, then mix until it’s completely smooth. You don’t want any cottage-cheesy looking chunks in there! Pour the cheesecake mixture into the jars, making sure to not overfill, since it will expand a bit. I was careful to not fill mine past the bottom rim of the lids. Don’t put the blueberry compote in there yet. Put the lids on, but not too tight, as they might explode if too much pressure builds up. This is why you don’t want the water to come over the top of the lids.
The filled jars, ready to go into the sous vide.
Carefully rest the jars in the sous vide and let them sit for 90 minutes, then remove using kitchen tongs because the water is HOT. Let them sit on the counter until they’re comfortable to touch, then open the lids and add two teaspoons of the blueberry compote to the top of each jar. You’ll have some left over. I’ll be making Monte Cristo sandwiches with the rest of mine next week. It would probably also be good over some grilled chicken with crumbled goat cheese. Once all the jars are topped, you can sprinkle on some toasted pine nuts if you’d like, or some other chopped nuts. I think macadamias or walnuts would be good. Pecans would probably be too sweet. Put the jars in the refrigerator until they’re chilled all the way through. I did mine overnight, because I was eating them for breakfast, but I totally won’t judge if you choose to have them for dessert instead.
Individual Sous Vide Cheesecakes with Blueberry-Basil Compote
An elegant dessert for your keto guests. Or, you know, breakfast. For you.
To make the compote, combine the blueberries, Swerve, water, and lemon juice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries begin to pop and the liquid boils. Add the basil, stirring occasionally, until most of the blueberries have reduced and the liquid begins to thicken. Simmer without stirring for another five minutes, then stir again, remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
Prepare your sous vide water bath, making sure that the water will not cover the jar lids. Set it for 175 degrees Fahrenheit (80 Celsius).
In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to blend the cream cheese, Swerve, and salt. Add the eggs and lemon juice and blend some more, then finally add the sour cream and heavy cream and blend until it's completely smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Fill each jar with the cheesecake batter to the bottom of the lid line. Seal the jars loosely using your fingertips instead of your whole hand, and carefully place in the water bath. Leave them undisturbed in the water bath for 90 minutes, then remove with tongs and leave on the counter to cool.
Once the jars have cooled to a temperature where you can handle them, remove the lids and add enough compote to cover the top of each, about 2 teaspoons. If desired, sprinkle with toasted nuts. Place the lids back on and put in the refrigerator to cool. Serve fully chilled.
Macros for each serving, counting using half of the coulis: 239 calories, 7 grams net carbs, 7 grams protein, 20 grams fat.
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