White chocolate and cherry cheesecake...
All American favourite...
A great pudding to take to a barbecue party.
Make the day before as it improves with chilling.
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 40-45 minutes
Chilling time: overnight or 6 hours
Biscuit base:
- 50 g (2 oz) butter, plus a little extra for greasing
- 250 g (9 oz) digestive biscuits
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 200 g (7 oz) white chocolate, broken into pieces
- 675 g (1½ lb) Philadelphia full fat cream cheese
- 75 g (3 oz) caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 ml (7 fl oz) double cream
- 4 medium eggs
- 225 g (8 oz) British cherries, stalks and stones removed
Topping:
- 250 ml (8 fl oz) carton full fat crème fraiche
- 175 g (6 oz) British cherries
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4.
- Lightly butter a 23 cm (9 inch) springform tin.
- Put the biscuits into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or blitz in a food processor.
- Melt the measured butter in a saucepan with the golden syrup, stir in the biscuit crumbs, mix well then press over the base and two thirds of the way up the tin sides.
- Bake the biscuit crust for 5 minutes then take out of the oven and lower the oven temperature to 150ºF/300ºC/Gas Mark 2.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure that the water does not touch the base of the bowl.
- Take off the heat, stir briefly and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl with an electric whisk or in a food processor.
- Gradually beat in the cream until thick once more then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth before adding the next one.
- Stir in the melted chocolate.
- Scatter the stoned cherries over the biscuit lined tin then spoon the cheesecake mixture over the top.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until the cheesecake is firm around the edge and just beginning to colour while still slightly soft in the centre.
- Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and leave to cool completely.
- Chill in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours.
When ready to serve:
- Loosen the edge of the cheesecake with a knife, remove the tin and transfer to a serving plate.
- Spread the crème fraiche on top then decorate with the cherries on stalks.
- Cut into wedges to serve.
Guest Post Credits- Seasonal Berries
