RECIPE: Make Casi Cielo’s Alebrije
There are a few dishes in life that linger in your mind for months after trying them. The Alebrije at Casi Cielo is something I tried once, make sure I order it any time I’m back, and I will never forget it. It’s certainly the most unique dessert I’ve ever had! I’d love to see how they do it. — Garrett Leffelman, Alpharetta
Casi Cielo’s Alebrije is a deconstructed cheesecake. Cheesecake crust is reimagined as a crumble and the filling is baked in a water bath and then piped onto a plate that’s been spread with chamoy. The dessert is topped with fruit. In our photo, it’s served with strawberries, edible flower petals and coconut ice cream.
The restaurant’s method of cooking the filling in a muffin tin is easier than managing a roasting pan full of individual ramekins. We suggest spooning the baked cheesecake filling onto the serving plates, but if you wish, scoop the mixture into a piping bag as they do at Casi Cielo, and pipe it onto the plates.
The restaurant prepares chamoy from a mix of sugar, red wine vinegar, hibiscus concentrate and puree, chili powder, orange zest and tamarind. However, they suggest you purchase chamoy, available at Mexican groceries and online.
1 egg yolk
- 10 ounces queso fresco
- 8 ounces mascarpone
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 egg yolk
- Chamoy (see note), for plating and garnish
- Crumble (see recipe) and strawberries, for garnish
- Heat oven to 250 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place tin in a roasting pan and add hot water halfway up the side of the tin.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade or the jar of a blender, combine queso fresco, mascarpone, sugar, eggs, flour, heavy cream and egg yolk. Blend until smooth. Pour into prepared muffin tin. Bake 2 hours or until cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Unmold and combine filling in a bowl. Stir until smooth, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, spread 6 serving plates with generous tablespoon of chamoy. Divide cheesecake mixture between plates, then sprinkle with Crumble. Garnish with more chamoy and strawberries, if desired. Serves 6.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, without Crumble: 483 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 14 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 34 grams total fat (19 grams saturated), 213 milligrams cholesterol, 558 milligrams sodium.- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
- 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together all-purpose flour, almond flour, melted butter and sugar until well combined. Spread evenly in prepared cake pan and bake until it turns golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, then crumble into a storage container. Store in covered container until ready to use. Makes 1 1/4 cups.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 2-tablespoon serving: 120 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 1 gram protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 15 milligrams cholesterol, 10 milligrams sodium.From the menu of ... Casi Cielo, 6125 Roswell Road, Atlanta; 404-549-9411, casicieloatl.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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