Spiced clementine and white chocolate cheesecake

8

Serves:

You’ll need:

● For the biscuit base:

● 150g, plain flour

● 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

● 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

● 140g caster sugar

● 75g dark soft brown sugar

● 210g unsalted butter

● 50g eggs

● 200g rolled oats

● 200g salted butter

● For the spiced clementine:

● 400ml clementine juice

● 3 star anise

● 4 cinnamon sticks

● 15 cloves

● For the cheesecake:

● 400g white chocolate

● 500g cream cheese

● 120g double cream, lightly whipped

● 300ml spiced clementine juice, as above

● 6g bronze leaf gelatine

● To garnish:

● 10 clementines

● 30g dark chocolate, refrigerated

● 30g white chocolate, refrigerated

Method:

1. Sift and mix the flour, bicarbonate and cinnamon together.

2. Whisk the sugars together.

3. Beat the unsalted butter in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and mix for 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides, and add the eggs one by one.

4. Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing on a low speed until just combined. Add the oats. Mix in on a low speed.

5. Fridge the dough for 30 minutes then divide into six equal portions, ball and flatten them down when placing them on the tray.

6. Bake at 170C for approximately 15 minutes, until crispy.

7. Once cool, chop into small pieces. Melt the salted butter and add it to the biscuit mix gradually so that it binds together but isn’t saturated in butter.

8. Press into an 8in metal ring (make sure that the ring is sitting on parchment paper). Refrigerate to firm up and set.

9. Make the spiced clementine. Crush all the spices and tie in some muslin and infuse with the clementine juice (slightly warm the juice), leave for one hour, and remove the spices after.

10. For the cheesecake, gently melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pot of water.

11. Bloom the gelatine in cold water, warm half of the clementine juice, and melt the gelatine in the warmed juice. Add the rest of the juice.

12. Beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Fold in the clementine juice, melted chocolate and whipped cream. Spoon the mixture on top of the biscuit base, and smoothe.

13. Using a knife, remove all the skin from the clementines, making sure to remove all the white pith, too. Slice into 1cm slices. Dab away any excess juice with paper towel.

14. Lay the slices on top of the cheesecake, then refrigerate for at least one hour or until set.

15. Use a knife to loosen the ring and remove. Finish by finely grating both chocolates over the top.