Benessere Vineyards Recipes

Kristine’s Neapolitan Cheesecake

Pairs with 2018 Sparkling Pinot Grigio 

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

• 1- 9oz package chocolate wafer cookies

• 6 tablespoons melted butter 

Cheesecake:

• 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup sour cream

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup good quality white chocolate chips

• 1teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup Valrhona Strawberry Inspiration Coverture (melting chocolate)

• ½ cup pureed ripe strawberries

• 1 cup good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half & half

Sour Cream Topping:

• 16oz sour cream

• 1 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS

Crust:

• Pulse chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor until you have uniform crumbs. You want a fine texture, but not to the point of a powder.

• Combine crumbs and butter and press down firmly onto the bottom of an ungreased 10” springform pan.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; Cool completely.

Cheesecake:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. *I always use a water bath on the rack under the cheesecake to help prevent cracking. I use a 13”x9” pan and fill it with boiling water and place it in the oven 5 minutes prior to the cheesecake going.

• In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

• Beat in sour cream.

• Beat in eggs, one at a time until just incorporated.

• Divide into three equal portions, about 3 cups each.

• Melt white chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream in 20 second intervals, stirring in between until just melted with a smooth consistency. Stir into 1/3 of the cheesekcake mixture.  *Two 20 second intervals is usually enough, but if your chocolate is not smooth enough, you can add a little more cream or half & half. The goal is a thick but smooth consistency that will mix easily into your cheesecake batter.

• Repeat this process with the strawberry and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

• Stir strawberries puree into the strawberry cheesecake batter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into the white chocolate cheesecake batter. *If you want a pure white cheesecake layer with a slightly more pronounced vanilla flavor, you can substitute 1 vanilla bean for the vanilla extract. You will just split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the inside of the pod into the mixture and stir well to evenly incorporate.

• Spread the semisweet mixture evenly over crust.

• Gently spread the strawberry mixture over the chocolate mixture, then layer the white chocolate mixture over the strawberry layer. *I find this last step to be easier if you use a piping bag or ziplock bag with a very small corner cut out to pipe the vanilla mixture over the strawberry mixture to produce clean layers.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes or until center is nearly set.

• Remove from oven; and top with sour cream mixture. *I always start from the very outside edge and work my way to the center so the weight of the sour cream does not collapse the center, this is another great step to use a piping bag or Ziploc bag if you have one.

• Bake for an additional 10 minutes, remove from oven and immediately run a thin sharp knife around the outside edge to loosen the cheesecake from the pan so it does not crack as it cools.

• Allow to cool on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature before placing in the refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours before serving.

*Service Tip – If you want those nice clean slices like you see in photographs, you will need a tall glass of very hot water, a thin, sharp knife and a clean cloth or paper towels. Wet the knife in the hot water and dry it before making the first slice, then repeat this process between each slice wiping the knife clean and ensuring it is dry, but still warm each time.

Recipe by, Kristine Youngberg - General Manager

Kristine’s Lasagne Recipe 

Pairs with 2018 Sangiovese 

Ingredients for the meat sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 pound ground beef chuck

• 1 pound ground Italian Sausage

• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 (28-ounce) can good-quality tomato puree

• 1 (28-ounce) can good-quality crushed tomatoes

• 6 ounces tomato paste

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

• I Tablespoon dried oregano

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds (optional)

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

1. In a large heavy bottom skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute’ the onions until they are soft and translucent. Approx. 4-5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and saute’ for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage and cook until lightly browned on all sides. You want enough space so that the meat has room to brown not steam.
4. Remove from heat and drain off excess oil.
5. Transfer mixture to a large heavy bottom pot and add the tomato paste stirring until just incorporated.
6. Add the tomato puree and crushed tomatoes
7. Add the oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, salt, sugar, onion powder and garlic powder and bring to a simmer.
8. Once it has come to a simmer, taste the sauce and adjust seasonings to your palate. I like a lot of oregano and basil in mine so I often end up adding more at this point. I rarely have to add more sugar because I almost always use the same brand of tomatoes, but you may want to adjust the sweetness depending on the acidity of your tomatoes.
9. Simmer for 30-45 minutes and remove from heat.

To assemble the lasagne you will need:

• 13” x 9” deep dish lasagne pan that will fit three layers.

• 1 box dry lasagne noodles.

• *I do not pre-cook my noodles so this recipe calls for more sauce and a longer cooking time than a typical recipe.

• 2 – 15oz containers whole milk ricotta cheese mixed with 1 egg and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.

• *You may have some leftover ricotta mixture depending on how much you like in your lasagne. The leftover ricotta mixture is great on pizza, mixed into scrambled eggs or any other application you like.

• 2 pounds (32 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375°F
2. Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of sauce.
3. Arrange one layer of lasagne noodles over the sauce. *You may need to carefully trim or break a small portion off the ends depending on your pan dimensions if you want an exact fit.
4. Cover with a generous layer of sauce.
5. Add half of the ricotta cheese in spoon size dollops every couple inches and, using a knife or small icing spatula, carefully spread the ricotta over the top of the sauce. It does not need to completely cover the sauce. The most important thing is spreading it over the top of the sauce, not mixing it into the sauce.
6. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella and ½ the grated parmesan cheese evenly over the top of ricotta cheese.
7. Add the second layer of noodles, and repeat the process topping with the sauce, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan.
8. Add the final layer of noodles, top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
9. Cover the lasagne pan with aluminum foil making sure it is tented slightly so it doesn't touch the lasagne or it will stick during the baking process.
10. Bake at 375°F for 60-90 minutes depending on how deep your lasagne pan is. Uncover in the last 10-15 minutes if you'd like your lasagne more browned on top with slightly crusty edges. My favorite!
11. Allow the lasagne to cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe by, Kristine Youngberg - General Manager

Benessere Moscato Gelato

Pairs with 2018 Moscato di Canelli

Ingredients:

• 4 medium egg yolks

• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar

• 2 cups of whole milk

• 1 cup of heavy cream

• ½ cup Benessere Vineyards Moscato

• A little grated lemon zest or vanilla extract (optional)

Tools:

• Heavy bottom saucepan

• Whisk

• Sillicone spatula

• Fine mesh sieve

Directions:

Step 1) – Whip the egg yolks with the sugar at high speed for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is pale yellow and the consistency of a fluffy cream. A stand mixer or hand mixer is preferred to get the most air in the mixture, but you can beat them by hand with a whisk, it will just require more time.

Step 2) – Pour the milk and cream into a heavy bottom saucepan and bring it almost to a boil. If you have a kitchen thermometer, you are looking for a temperature of 85°C / 185° F. It is extremely important NOT to let the mixture come to a boil. Cook for about 5 then. remove from the heat. If you are adding lemon zest or vanilla extract, you will do this now.

Step 3) –Next you will slowly incorporate the hot milk/cream mixture with the egg/sugar mixture.  Slowly drizzle the hot milk/cream into the egg/sugar mixture, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. This process also pasteurizes the eggs. Once you have finished incorporating the two, put the mixture back on the stove. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Step 4) – Strain the Gelato base through a fine sieve and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours and up to overnight.

Step 5) – Now if you have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into the machine and start it. It will take about 30-40 minutes, depending on your machine. Once it is the consistency of a firm soft serve, slowly drizzle in the ½ cup of Benessere Vineyards Moscato and let it continue to run for another 5 minutes.

If you do not have a Gelato or ice cream machine, pour the mixture into a gelato container and place it in the freezer for about 4-5 hours. You will need to remove the mixture from the freezer and mix for approx. 30 seconds every 30 minutes (until it is ready to serve consistency) to prevent ice crystals from forming and ensure a creamy finished product.

Step 6) – Turn off the machine and pour the mixture into a shallow container with a lid (you want a container that is just a little deeper than the size of your Gelato scoop) then put the lid on and immediately transfer to the freezer for at least 1 hour. After an hour, check the consistently of your Gelato to determine if it is ready to serve. This part is entirely up to your personal taste!

Step 7) – Once you have determined your Gelato is ready to go, scoop and serve in your favorite glass or bowl.

I recommend serving the Moscato Gelato with fresh peaches, to bring out the stone fruit notes in the wine, and a glass of our Moscato of course!

*Authentic Italian Gelato is always a freshly made product so it will be best when consumed within the first 2 days.

Recipe by, Kristine Youngberg - General Manager 

Cocktails made with wine?  You probably think we're going crazy, but in fact Mixologists have long used wine as mixers in their cocktails and they can be quite TASTY! 

So, as we head into Spring and Summer, our team decided to take on the challenge of creating some specialty cocktails made with Benessere Vineyards 2020 Pinot Grigio, 2020 Rosato di Sangivoese and 2018 Moscato di Canelli and we are excited to share them with you!  Enjoy!