Corsican Cheesecake with Burnt Honey & Orange

Fiadone is the national dessert of Corsica, traditionally served on special occasions like holidays and weddings. The cheesecake is airy, citrusy, and crustless — and could be considered a cross between flan and a New York-style cheesecake. The cheesecake takes only a few ingredients: eggs, sugar, brocciu cheese, and any additional flavorings like citrus zest and vanilla extract or brandy. While it can be challenging to source Brocciu cheese in the States, you can easily substitute drained ricotta.

We serve ours with chestnut honey and orange slices in chinotto syrup — but this burnt honey recipe was made for this cheesecake (see below). It’s also perfectly acceptable to skip the cheesecake and serve the burnt honey on vanilla ice cream with a sprinkle of maldon and a drizzle of olive oil:)

Corsican Cheese Cake
makes 9” round springform pan

shopping list —

• 1# ricotta cheese

• 4 large eggs

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extra

• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tbsp orange zest

• 1 tbsp honey

• butter or cooking spray (for greasing the pan)

equipment —

• 9” springform pan

• stand mixer with whisk attachment

• cheesecloth

• parchment, cut into a circle to line the bottom of the pan

steps —

1. Drain the ricotta in cheesecloth overnight or at least 8 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. 

3. Butter or spray the sides and bottom of the 9” springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment. 

4. Using a whisk attachment, beat the eggs and egg yolk on medium high speed until pale and frothy. Slowly stream in the sugar, and keep beating until the mixture is thick and about triple in volume.

5. Remove the strained ricotta from the cheesecloth and add to add to a bowl. Whisk the ricotta with the orange zest, salt, and honey. Then fold the egg mixture into the ricotta mixture in batches until it’s smooth. Pour the batter into the springform pan. 

6. Bake until the sides of the cheesecake pull away from the pan but with a slight jiggle in the center, about 35-40 minutes. The sides and top of the cheesecake should be lightly golden brown. Cool in the pan on the wire rack for about 30 minutes or until slightly cool. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill it down completely.

   *As the cheesecake cools, it will fall and may be thinner than what you expect. Think of this dessert more like an Italian flan.

7. Slice the cheesecake and serve with burnt honey and orange zest.

Burnt Honey
makes less than 1 cup

shopping list —

• 1 cup honey

• 1/8 tsp distilled vinegar to prevent crystallization

• 2 tbsp water

equipment —

• heavy bottomed pot

steps —

1. Mix the honey and vinegar together in a pot. Over medium heat, boil the honey until deep brown (or 320ºF), but be careful not to go too far or it’ll smoke and burn in a bad way.

2. Take the pot off the heat, add the water and stir rapidly. Be careful! The honey will bubble up and splatter. Season with a pinch of salt. Jar the honey and allow to cool.