ROASTED WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITH PEANUT BRITTLE

SERVES 10. PREP 45 MINS. COOK 2 HRS 10 MINS INGREDIENTS

• 360g white chocolate, finely chopped

• 400g digestive biscuits

• 170g unsalted butter, melted, cooled

• ⅓ cup (50g) salted peanuts, finely chopped

• 750g cream cheese, chopped, softened

• 250g sour cream, at room temperature

• 3 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar

PEANUT BRITTLE

• 100g caster sugar

• 60g glucose syrup

• 120g roasted peanuts

• 10g unsalted butter

• ½ tsp salt flakes

• ⅛ tsp bicarb soda

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 130C. Line large oven tray with baking paper. Scatter chocolate evenly over tray and roast for 10 minutes. Remove and stir. Return to oven and roast, stirring and pressing every 5 minutes, for 25 minutes or until dark golden and caramelised. (If the chocolate seizes it will come back together later.)

2. Transfer chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch water), stirring and pressing for 8-10 minutes until combined in a finely textured paste. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

3. Set oven to 160C. Grease base and side of a 22cm springform cake pan and line base with baking paper.

4. Whiz biscuits in food processor until fine crumbs. Pulse in butter and peanuts. Press mixture evenly into base and side of prepared pan. Chill.

5. Wipe out food processor. Whiz cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream and whiz to combine. Add eggs, yolk, sugar and cooled chocolate, and whiz to combine. Pour into pan and place on an oven tray. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until just set with a gentle wobble in the centre. Turn off oven and cool completely in the oven. Chill for 4 hours or until firm and set.

6. For the brittle, line a baking tray with baking paper and place on a wire rack. Combine sugar and ⅓ cup (80ml) water in a small heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Stir in glucose then increase heat to medium and bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture reaches 130C on sugar thermometer. Stir in peanuts and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 150C. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, salt and bicarb soda until well combined. Pour into tray and, using a knife, spread into a thin layer. Set aside to cool completely. Crumble and scatter over cheesecake to serve.