CHERRY ON TOP (OR NOT)
Best cheesecake Koro ever had
THE GATHERING OF FOOD and people to share a meal is at the heart of Māori family life. Kai is a passionate homage to a life deeply rooted in food, where exquisite flavours weave seamlessly with cherished food memories.
Award-winning food photographer Christall Lowe invites you to join her wha¯nau table and experience for yourself an abundance of mouth-watering dishes, a vertiable feast for the eyes and stomach.
BLUEBERRY CHERRY CHEESECAKE
This indulgent no-bake cheesecake with the mouthwatering zing of citrus in the buttery, crumbly base will leave you wanting “just one more bite”. It is so good, in fact, that my grandad declared it the best cheesecake he’s ever had! The cherries are an optional extra, and highly recommended if in season. However, this cheesecake is still incredible, even without the “cherry on top”!
Ingredients
For the base
250g plain wine biscuits
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.) finely grated zest of 1 large lemon (or 2 small)
125g melted butter
For the blueberry sauce and topping
2 cups (250g) blueberries, fresh or frozen 2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup cold water water to thin, if needed handful fresh cherries, optional
For the filling
1 cup (250g) cream cheese, softened 2 cups (500g) mascarpone
1/3 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 cup (250ml) cream
Method
Prepare a 24cm springform pan by greasing the sides and lining the base with non-stick baking paper.
Crush the wine biscuits and nuts until they resemble fine crumbs, either in a food processor, blender, Nutribullet (a third at a time) or by putting in a plastic bag and crushing with a rolling pin.
Put crumb mixture into a bowl with lemon zest, pour over the melted butter, and mix until combined.
Press the crumb mixture into the base of the pan firmly and evenly, using the back of a spoon.
Put 1 cup (125g) blueberries, plus the lemon juice, caster sugar and water into a medium saucepan, and stir over a medium heat until thickened and a deep purple colour, about 5 minutes.
Add the cornflour and water mixture and stir over a medium heat until combined and translucent.
Pour into a bowl and put into the fridge to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to mix the cream cheese, mascarpone, icing sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth, taking care not to overmix.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream with an electric beater until stiff peaks form (do not overmix).
Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until just combined. Swirl half of the cooled blueberry sauce through the cheesecake mixture, stirring loosely.
Spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the crumb base.
Cover with cling film or tinfoil and refrigerate for 5-6 hours, or overnight.
When the cheesecake is firm and ready to serve, mix the remaining blueberry sauce mixture with the remaining cup of blueberries, and add extra water if the mixture is too thick.
Spread over the top of the cheesecake, pop the cherries on top, if using, and chill for a further 30 minutes before carefully removing from the springform pan. Remove baking paper, and transfer to a serving plate. Keep the cheesecake refrigerated until ready to serve.
— Serves 12-15