For me, this dessert was all about trying a couple of new things. Using gjetost cheese in a fonduta was a new idea, and playing around with more savory things like carrots and pairing that with mugicha, which is a barley tea. I also featured yuzu in this dessert as well, since the sort of earthy, toasty, and nutty flavors in the carrots, walnuts, gjetost, and brown butter needed something to contrast them, and I figured yuzu could be a great way of accomplishing that.

For the brown butter carrot cake:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons crushed walnuts
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons brown butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix ingredients together to form a cake batter. Pour onto a lined quarter sheet tray, spread evenly into a thin layer, and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool completely and cut into cubes.

For the brown butter walnuts:
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon brown butter
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
a pinch of salt

Toss together and spread on a lined sheet tray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

For the yuzu-carrot curd:
1/4 cup carrot juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon yuzu juice
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a pot, heat up the carrot juice, cornstarch, sugar, yuzu juice, and salt until it begins to simmer, preferably over medium heat. Once the mixture does so, whisk until it thickens enough to cling to the sides of your whisk. Take off heat and add in the butter and vanilla. Mix until combined. Pass through a sieve to remove lumps.

For the barley tea and gjetost fonduta:
1/4 cup barley tea or mugicha
2 oz gjetost cheese
a pinch of salt
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

Heat up your ingredients on low heat until melted. Whisk to combine.

For the yuzu cheesecake:
4 oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons yuzu juice
2 tablespoons Valrhona yuzu inspiration
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
a pinch of salt

In a pot, melt down the yuzu juice, inspiration, sugar, and salt. Pour that mixture into a bowl with your cream cheese and whip together into a homogenous mixture. Allow it to cool down and thicken so that you can quenelle it cleanly.

To garnish:
Nasturtium leaves