SWEET DREAM
Fall in love with this pretty pink strawberry cheesecake with a buttery Scotch finger base
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
INGREDIENTS
● 150g almond biscotti
● 50g Arnott’s Scotch Finger biscuits
● 100g butter, melted
● 250g strawberries, hulled, chopped
● 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
● 375g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg
60ml (1/4 cup) sour cream 100g white chocolate, melted toffee strawberries
155g (3/4 cup) caster sugar 160ml (2/3 cup) water
2 tsp liquid glucose
Pink food colouring, to tint ●150g small strawberries
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 150C/130C fan forced. Process biscotti and Scotch Finger biscuits in a food processor until finely crushed. Add the butter. Process until well combined. Use a straight-sided glass to press mixture firmly over base and sides of a 12 x 35cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin with removable base. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
2. Meanwhile, combine the strawberry and 1 tbs of the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until tender. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to push pulp through.
3. Process cream cheese, egg, sour cream and remaining sugar in food processor until smooth. Add chocolate and strawberry puree. Process to combine. Pour over base. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes or until just set in centre. Cool cake in oven, with door ajar, for 1 hour. Place in fridge for 2 hours to chill.
4. Meanwhile, to make toffee strawberries, line baking tray with baking paper. Combine sugar, water and glucose in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high. Bring to boil. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 155C (hard crack stage) on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat. Add a little food colouring. Swirl pan to combine (do not stir). Dip strawberries into toffee. Transfer to lined tray. Dip two forks in remaining toffee and pull apart to create spun toffee.
5. Remove cake from pan. Top with strawberries and spun toffee.
Recipe: Sarah Hobbs Photo: Jeremy Simons