little goats cheesecakes

There is something about these little cheese cakes, tangy with fresh goats cheese- les faiselles- softer than cream cheese, rich but not too. I make them with eggs from the little black hens here at Camont so they are stained deep saffron yellow and taste beyond delicious. I spooned the thick batter into brown paper baking cups I bought so long ago I can’t remember where. They puffed and huffed and rose above the edges so beautifully…then sank into themselves in a rather self-indulgent way. ‘Eat me now!” they seemed to taunt. So we did. Next time I buy the fresh clean goats cheese from Marie de Chèvre,  I’ll decide if I want a more stable batter or just given in to my whisk driven idea of a Gascon Goat Cheesecake. Soft, dense, not too sweet…more like a tender canelé inside or a miniature torteau

The recipe for les petits gateaux de Marie de Chèvre:

This made about a dozen muffin tin size cakes.

• 400 gr fresh goats cheese called faiselle here in France
• 200 gr white sugar (150gr for yolks- 50gr for whites)
• 50 ml milk (about 4 tablespoon)
• 4 eggs, separated
• 50 gr flour
• Splash of vanilla/rum/Armagnac

1. Pass goat cheese through a food mill or ricer.
2. Beat in egg yolks, 150 gr sugar, milk and flour. (I use a hand whisk.)
3. Whisk egg whites with 50 gr sugar until stiff peaks. (I use a copper bowl and hand whisk)
4. Fold in a large spoonful of whites into the cheese/yolk mixture. Stir well.
5. Fold remaining whites into cheese/yolk batter.
6. Splash in the flavoring (we use  the Secret formula!).
7. Spoon into individual serving size muffin tins, ramekins or paper molds brushed with butter.
8. Place into hot oven (220’C/425’F) for 10 minutes. Turn down to 200’ C/ 390’F.  The tops will soufflé puff up round and start to brown immediately. Don’t panic! Let it cook.
9. Then let the little soufflés cook for another 10 minutes. remove from oven and serve while warm with some spring ripe strawberries from the market.