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I am quite sure that I have cured my lactose intolerance — not by medication or slowly introducing dairy, but through my obsession with labneh.
Labneh is Middle Eastern strained yogurt cheese, made by salting and then draining the whey from yogurt, resulting in a thick, tangy, creamy spread that sits somewhere between Greek yogurt and cream cheese. It is commonplace to find it in Israeli breakfast spreads, with a heavy sprinkle of za’atar and a swirl of spicy olive oil, served alongside pita. I like to roll labneh into balls, coat them with herbs and set them in olive oil for an impressive appetizer. I also spread it on bagels or top it with honey and crushed walnuts for a sweet, tangy after-dinner treat.
My fridge is rarely without a tub of it. And while it is available in many grocery stores, it is incredibly simple to make by mixing full-fat Greek yogurt and a pinch of salt, before draining it with a cheesecloth overnight in the fridge.
Rich in probiotics, labneh is typically lower in lactose than yogurt or cream cheese because of the draining and fermenting process. Ricotta cheese is often lower in fat than cream cheese. The combination of tart labneh and creamy ricotta is a match made in cheesecake heaven.
In celebration of Shavuot, I wanted to create a dessert that is both light and satisfying and that can fit into your holiday or Shabbat menu with ease. The solution? A tangy, not-too-sweet cheesecake, topped with seasonal fruit.
It makes a perfect cheesecake — a far cry from the heavy, stodgy New York-style cheesecake you may be used to.
Rhubarb season is fleeting, but I wait with bated breath for it to come. Rhubarb on its own is too tart and astringent to pair with labneh. But when roasted with honey, rhubarb is the perfect contrast to this smooth, creamy cheesecake. I love that it can be baked alongside the cheesecake, so there’s no opening and closing the oven while the cheesecake cooks.
Cheesecake can be fickle. To avoid that dreaded crack in the center, here are a few tips:
- Wrap the base of the pan with foil for even heating.
- Create a water bath. (See below.)
- Keep the oven door closed (no peeking!) while baking.
- Cool in the oven before transferring to the counter.
If your cheesecake does crack during baking, you can always top it with fruit afterward.
I don’t need an excuse to stock up on labneh, but I’ll gladly use Shavuot as a way to enjoy just a little bit more.
Honey Labneh Cheesecake with Roasted Rhubarb
Serves 10 to 12
Crust
- 8.8 oz. package Biscoff cookies
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
Filling
- 2 cups labneh
- 1½ cups ricotta cheese
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 Tbs. cornstarch
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
Rhubarb
- 1 lb. rhubarb, frozen or fresh, cut into ½ -inch pieces
- ¼ cup candied ginger, chopped
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tsp. orange zest
For crust: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Add cookies to food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs. Add melted butter, ground ginger and salt, mixing to combine until it is sandy and thick.
Pour mixture into the prepared springform pan, patting crumbs down to make a compact crust. You can use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to press it into an even layer.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
For filling: Rinse food processor. Add labneh, ricotta cheese, sugar, honey, cornstarch, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and salt. Process until smooth. Set aside.
For rhubarb: While the crust cools, combine the rhubarb, candied ginger, honey and orange zest in a separate, medium-size baking dish. Cover with foil.
For assembly: Wrap two pieces of foil around base of springform pan, being extra cautious if it is still slightly warm from baking the crust.
Pour cheesecake filling into the cooled crust. Place springform pan onto a rimmed baking tray to create a water bath. Carefully place cheesecake into oven and then add ½-inch water to the baking tray that the springform pan rests on. Separately, place rhubarb dish into oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the cheesecake is just set and slightly jiggly.
Turn off oven and open oven door slightly. Let cheesecake and rhubarb rest for 45 minutes before removing them from oven.
Let cheesecake cool to room temperature before serving. Serve each slice with a spoonful of rhubarb.