Mini German Lebkuchen Cheesecakes with Apricot Compote

These festive little bites are much lighter in texture than most American cheesecakes are. If you'd like, for a creamier texture you can substitute 2 pounds quark for the ricotta and sour cream the recipe the recipe calls for -- quark is a German-style yogurt cheese.

Ingredients:

2 pounds whole-milk ricotta
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon grated orange peel, orange part only
4 eggs
12 round German Lebkuchen (German gingerbread cookies), 3 inches in diameter
1 recipe apricot compote (recipe below)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper muffin liners.

Beat together ricotta, sour cream, whipping cream and sugar. Slit vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds; add seeds and orange zest to ricotta mixture. Beat in eggs 1 at a time.

Divide mixture among prepared muffin liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the cakes comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before removing paper liners. Invert each cheesecake on a gingerbread cookie, and top with warm apricot compote.

Apricot compote: Heat 1 16-ounce jar German apricot preserves in a small saucepan. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup German apple juice or German brandy to thin. Bring to a simmer and serve.