White Chocolate, Rhubarb and Strawberry Cheesecake
Nothing says Christmas like a wildly indulgent dessert – which also happens to look and taste fantastic.
300 grams rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 3cm pieces
200 grams strawberries, hulled and halved
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
CHEESECAKE
250 grams Krispie or Arrowroot biscuits
70 grams melted butter
200 grams white chocolate, chopped
625 grams cream cheese, at room temperature, chopped
200 grams sour cream
1 cup caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons custard powder
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
TO SERVE
2 tablespoons raspberry or strawberry jam
EQUIPMENT: Grease a 23cm springform tin and fully line with baking paper. You will also need a roasting dish.
Preheat the oven to 180°C regular bake.
Lay the rhubarb and strawberries in an even layer in a roasting dish and sprinkle with caster sugar and vanilla extract. Toss to coat evenly and roast for 15-20 minutes, until soft. Leave to cool in the syrup.
CHEESECAKE: Whizz the biscuits and melted butter together in a food processor until it has the texture of damp sand, then pour into the prepared tin. Squash the biscuit crumbs into the base and halfway up the sides of the tin, using the base of a glass to press the sides firmly, and a tablespoon to compact the base. Chill.
Reduce the oven to 160°C regular bake.
Melt the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Don’t let the bowl touch the water. Whisk until smooth. While the chocolate is melting, wipe out the food processor and whizz the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, eggs and yolk until smooth. Mix the custard powder, vanilla and water to form a smooth paste, then add to the cream cheese mixture and briefly whizz again. With the motor running, add the white chocolate in 2-3 lots until well incorporated.
Pour the filling into the chilled base. Scoop out one cup of rhubarb and strawberries, draining excess liquid back into the remainder, and drop in blobs onto the surface of the cheesecake. Reserve the remaining fruit. Bake for 65-70 minutes, reducing the oven temperature to 150°C for the last 5-10 minutes. The cheesecake is ready once it is fully set, but with a slight wobble in the middle. Turn the oven off and open the oven door just a little, then allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven to avoid surface cracking. Once cold, refrigerate until half an hour before serving.
TO SERVE: Whizz the reserved fruit with the jam in a small food processor and serve alongside the cheesecake. SERVES 10