Chef Chris’ latest recipe
The dessert recipe this week is one of my festive dessert Treat’s. Three Times baked cheesecake full of flavour and textures. Perfect way to finish your festive dinner party.
Preparation time is less than an hour and cooking time is 40 minutes. Serves six.
For the coulis: 250g mixed berries; 50g caster sugar.
For the base: 300g pack ginger nuts, bashed to crumbs; 100g butter melted.
For the filling: Three x 280g tubs full- fat cream cheese; 300g golden caster sugar; three tbs plain flour; two tsp vanilla extract; zest three lemons; juice of one lemon; three large eggs plus one yolk ( save the white); 300ml soured cream.
For the lemon layer: Two x 312g jars lemon curd; one large egg; three large yolks ( save the whites); juice one lemon; three tbs plain flour.
For meringue: 300g caster sugar; 150g free range egg whites; one tsp of white wine vinegar; one tsp corn flour. For the peppered tuille
biscuit: One tsp cracked pepper; 110g salted butter; 150g icing sugar; three large free eggs, whites only ( saved from earlier); 110g Gluten free plain flour; half a vanilla pod; disposable piping bag.
For the chantilly cream: 300ml double cream; 2oz caster sugar; half vanilla pods. For the strawberry
macaroons: 170g icing sugar; 160g ground almonds; 120ml egg whites from about four medium eggs, separated into two equal
batches; 160g granulated sugar; half a tsp red food colouring; 25g strawberry jam.
For fillings and base: Heat oven to 160C/ 140C fan/ gas 3. Grease a 25cm loose- bottomed or springform round tin with a little oil, and line the base and sides with a double layer of baking parchment. Mix the biscuit crumbs and melted butter, then press into the bottom of the tin. Bake for 10 mins. To make the filling, beat the cream cheese for 1- 2 mins with an electric hand whisk in your largest mixing bowl until creamy. Add the sugar, flour, vanilla, lemon zest and juice with a pinch of salt. Finally, whisk in the eggs and soured cream until blended. Pour the filling into the tin and tap a few times sharply on the counter to get rid of any bubbles. Bake for 12 mins. Whisk together the ingredients for the lemon layer. Gently spoon the mixture over the cheesecake and pop back in the oven for 12 mins more until firm at the edges but still a bit wobbly in the middle. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in until it is cold, then chill for at least two hours or overnight. For the meringue Place the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl and whisk until soft peak and can lift above your head. Slowly add the tablespoon of sugar at a time along with the corn flour and vinegar. Whisk for a further 5- 6 mins until silky and soft peak. Place a piping bag and ready to cheesecakes. Once piped on top blowtorch until golden.
For the macaroons: Place the icing sugar and ground almonds in the bowl of a food processor and pulse about 15 times until fully combined. Sieve this mixture into a large bowl, add the first batch of egg whites to the almond mixture, mix to form a thick paste and set aside. Tip the second batch of egg whites into a spotlessly clean, heatproof bowl and have an electric whisk at the ready. Place 50ml water and the granulated sugar into a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the syrup registers 110C, using a sugar thermometer, at which time start to beat the egg whites on high speed. Once the syrup is at 118C pour it slowly down the side of the mixer bowl, avoiding the moving whisk. Continue to whisk on high until the mixture has cooled slightly and you have a shiny peaked meringue mixture – the bowl should no longer be hot to the touch, but still warm. Add the colouring and whisk to Aacombine Tip the meringue onto the almond mixture and gently fold together. It is important not to over- mix the batter – it should fall in a thick ribbon from the spatula. The ribbon should also fade back into the batter within about 30 secs – if it doesn’t, fold a few more times. Heat oven to 170C/ 150C fan/ gas 3- 4. Line three baking sheets with baking parchment. Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Pipe rounds about 2.5cm in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave to rest for 30 mins out of the fridge, or until the macaroons have developed a skin. Bake the macaroons for 14 mins. Immediately slide the parchment onto the work surface and cool for a few minutes before gently peeling the macaroons off the paper. Once cooled fill with raspberry jam and serve.
For the coulis: Place all in a food processor, blitz for 3- 4 mins and then pass throw sieve and ready for use.
For the Tuille Biscuits: Cream the sugar, pepper and butter in mixing bowl, then gradually had the egg whites with a wooden spoon or spatula. One mixture has bound together fold in the flour and then place in a piping bag and chill. Place a silicone/ greaseproof mat on to a tray and take the piping bag and snip a small hole at tip of bag. Pipe 15cm lengths of mixture on mat and repeat this leaving two inch gap between lines, place in oven for 7- 8 minutes till golden brown bring out and whilst mixture still hot wrap them round the handle of a wooden spoon to create a spiral or round a rolling pin to create circles, hold and mixture will harden within 30 seconds.
For the chantilly cream: Place cream, sugar and vanilla pod in bowl and whisk till whipped.