Pastel de Queso con Membrillo Picosito

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 3-inch springform pan and cover the outside with heavy-duty foil to prevent leakage.

   Step 2

   TO MAKE THE CRUST, combine the brown sugar, salt, flour, and hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until the hazelnuts are coarsely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of a pea and looks like coarse meal. Add 1 tablespoon of the cold water, pulse again, and check to see whether the dough comes together when you press it with your fingers. If it doesn’t, add the remaining 1 tablespoon cold water and pulse to combine. Press the dough in an even layer into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.

   Step 3

   TO MAKE THE FILLING, place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, canela, crema, and cornstarch, and mix until blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until blended. You do not want any lumps.

   Step 4

   Pour the filling into the prepared crust and place inside a large roasting pan. Fill with hot water about halfway up the sides. (I like to do this right in the oven to prevent any spilling; just pull out the rack a little and hold it with one hand while pouring in the water with the other.) Bake until the filling is just set, 50 to 55 minutes, and turn off the oven. Prop open the oven door with a wooden spoon and leave the cake inside for an additional hour. Remove from the water, take off the foil, and let cool on a rack. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

   Step 5

   TO MAKE THE SPICED QUINCE, peel, core (save the cores), and cut the quinces into slices about 1 inch thick. Put the slices in a pot with the granulated sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring gently, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon zest, chiles, and reserved quince cores (this will give it a nice deep color) to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until a thick syrup has formed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the lemon zest, chiles, and quince cores and let cool.

   Step 6

   To unmold the cheesecake, gently run a small thin-blade knife around the edges. Remove the ring part of the mold and slice the cake, dipping the knife in hot water and wiping the blade clean before cutting each slice. Serve on a plate with a little of the candied quince on the top or side.