WHITE CHOCOLATE, ROSE AND BERRY CHEESECAKE
This stunning dessert works well with any fresh summer berries.
BASE 250 100 grams grams digestive butter, biscuits melted FILLING raspberries, 200 grams thawed frozen
½ cup caster sugar
350 grams roughly white chocolate, chopped
500 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened
220 grams sour cream, softened 180 grams caster sugar 30 grams soft brown sugar
4 large eggs, size 7, plus 2 egg yolks
100ml cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon rose water
TOPPING
300ml cream
375 grams full-fat Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
TO SERVE
160 grams strawberries, trimmed, halved
100 grams rose Turkish delight
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
¼ cup pomegranate arils
EQUIPMENT: Grease a 20cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
BASE: Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and process for a further 30 seconds. Press the crumb into the base of the tin and refrigerate.
FILLING: Place the raspberries and first measure of caster sugar in a small pot over a medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and return the liquid to the heat. Simmer until thickened and syrupy. Set aside to cool. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water – make sure the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.
Place the cream cheese and sour cream in a clean food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the sugars and process for 2 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the eggs, yolks, cream and rose water and process until smooth. Scrape down sides of the processor, then add the melted chocolate and blitz for 1 minute. Pour the cream cheese filling into cake tin. Spoon the raspberry syrup onto the cheesecake and swirl through using a butter knife.
Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes uncovered. Top with a sheet of tinfoil and cook for a further 45 minutes. It should still be wobbly in the centre. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 15 minutes with the oven turned off and the door ajar, then place on a cooling rack. Once cool, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
TOPPING: Whip the cream, yoghurt, caster sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
TO SERVE: Just before serving, remove the cheesecake from the tin. Pile over the cream mixture and top with strawberries,
Turkish delight, pistachios and pomegranate arils. SERVES 8-10