If you are a fan of the sweet/tangy combination, this Fig Cheesecake with Balsamic Caramel Sauce and Candied Walnuts is for you!
I was intrigued by the idea of cooking a cheesecake in the Slow Cooker. And now that I have tried it, I may never go back to the oven-baked method. No water bath to fuss with, no cracks, no dried cream cheese. This Basic Cheesecake comes out perfectly creamy and uncracked every time!
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It takes 2 hours to cook on high and another hour resting in the slow cooker, so you have to be around your kitchen. Hands-on time is quite limited, though, so it's definitely worth considering if you are around the house anyway.
Added bonus- you don't have to heat up your house in the summertime!
This cheesecake recipe is the perfect blank canvas for whatever flavour or topping you may have in mind.
What Makes This Special?
- The slow-cooker cheesecake is almost foolproof for a creamy cheesecake that doesn't crack.
- The combination of sweet and tangy fig/balsamic and candied walnuts is delicious but unusual in a dessert.
- You can make it in stages and just assemble when ready to serve.
- It freezes and defrosts quite well.
- It is a restaurant-worthy quality that will impress friends and family alike.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- This recipe requires fresh figs. I prefer Black Mission figs.
- Use a good quality Balsamic vinegar, but it doesn't have to be an expensive one since you are going to mix it with brown sugar, butter and cream.
How To Make It
You can make this in stages and assemble it just before serving.
- Make the cheesecake. It will keep well for a day or two before you plan to serve it.
- Candy the Walnuts and store airtight for a day or two.
- Make the Balsamic Caramel Sauce.
- Assemble with fresh figs for garnish.
I made the cheesecake a couple of days before I decorated and served it. Then I froze the leftovers, and guess what- they survived that process quite nicely. The candied nuts were perhaps just a tad less crunchy, but not enough to deter me from ever freezing it again!
Wine Pairing
You could serve this with a Tokaj or Sauterne sweet wine but an Italian Walnut Liqueur would be a classic combination!
Related Recipes
Fig Cheesecake with Balsamic Caramel Sauce
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Save Print Pin Facebook TextIngredients
- 1 recipe Slow Cooker Cheesecake or plain cheesecake recipe of your choice
- 2-3 medium Black Mission figs
Balsamic Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup whipping cream
Candied Walnuts
- 1 cup unsalted walnut halves or pieces
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt see notes for seasoning variations
Instructions
Balsamic Carmel Sauce
- Melt brown sugar and balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally. Cook 3-4 minutes after it comes to a boil without stirring.
- Add the cream all at once. Mixture will spit and flare up. Whisk until cream is evenly incorporated and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in butter and salt.
- Transfer to a glass container and allow to cool to room temperature.
Candied Walnuts
- Prepare a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt butter and sugar in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon.
- Add the walnuts and the salt and stir to coat the walnuts. Cook another 3 minutes or so, stirring until walnuts are evenly coated and sugar is fully melted.
- Remove skillet from a pour on to the parchment paper.
- Spread the nuts in to one layer with the wooden spoon and separate as much as you can. As nuts cool and the coating gets stiffer take the wooden spoon to break apart any clumps or clusters.
- Nuts can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 weeks or frozen up to 2 months.
Assembly
- Center the chilled heesecake on your serving platter. Cut the figs in to 6 uniform, thin slices. Set aside the smaller slices and ends for another use.
- Pour the Balsamic Caramel over the cheesecake allowing it to drizzle down the sides. (You will have some caramel sauce left over.)
- Postion fig slices evenly around the outside edge of the cheesecake, Mound some candied walnuts in the middle of the cheesecake and distribute remainder evenly aoround the outer perimeter of the cheesecake.
- Keep chilled until ready to serve.
- Cheesecake will keep well a few days in the fridge. It also freezes well, tightly sealed. Allow frozen cheesecake to defrost in the fridge.
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