SWEET ENDING

We had to end Heritage month on a sweet note with a real South African favourite. This delectable recipe is food photographer Hein van Tonder’s from his scrumptious blog heinstirred and is made in the Instant Pot. No Instant Pot? Hilary Biller made it in

PEPPERMINT CRISP CHEESECAKE Base

200g Tennis biscuits 70g butter, melted

Filling

250g full-fat cream cheese (at room temperature)

250g ricotta (at room temperature) 90g demerara sugar (or castor sugar) 2 eggs (plus 1 egg yolk)

20ml (4 tsp) corn flour

15ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

2.5ml (½ tsp) salt Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Topping

1 x 385g can Caramel Treat

125ml (½ cup) crème fraîche

10ml (2 tsp) lemon juice

1 pinch of salt

1 large slab of Peppermint Crisp, crushed into small pieces

Grease an 18cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking paper. Wrap the outside of the tin with foil to ensure it is watertight. Place the biscuits in a processor and blitz until fine. Add the melted butter and pulse to combine. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and press firmly over the base using the bottom of a glass to spread the base evenly. Place in the freezer while making the filling.

Place all the filling ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour the filling into the biscuit-lined tin. Pour 250ml (1 cup) water into the Instant Pot. Place the trivet on the base and lower the cake tin carefully onto the trivet. Close the lid and select the Pressure Cook programme on high pressure and set the timer for 30 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, use the natural pressure release method for 10 minutes and then turn the Steam Release handle towards you to release any remaining steam. The cheesecake should have a slight wobble in the middle. Lift the cheesecake out and place on a wire rack. Cool to room temperature then place in the fridge for several hours to set.

Place the Caramel Treat, crème fraîche, lemon juice and salt in a bowl and beat until smooth and thick. Gently spoon on top of the cheesecake and spread to cover the top. Sprinkle with the crushed Peppermint Crisp and serve with any leftover caramel mixture.

MAKE IT IN THE OVEN

For the same delectably soft texture I baked it in a water bath by standing the cake tin wrapped in foil in a pan with warm water coming three-quarters of the way up the side of the cake tin.

To do this, wrap the base of a loose-bottomed cake tin with enough foil so you can fold the foil back up the side of the tin. Then wrap the outside of the pan with 2 layers of foil. This stops water seeping into the tin. Proceed with the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 160°C and bake the cheesecake for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and water bath and allow to cool before removing from the pan. Finish as directed.