Festive cheesecake
Creamy, indulgent and super-delicious, this baked cheesecake is topped with a jewel-coloured winter berry compote and melted white chocolate. Perfect for parties and celebrations this Christmas, says Miranda Gore Browne. Serves 8-10
Ingredients
Use a 10-inch springform tin lined with non-stick baking paper
For the base:
- 300g ginger biscuits, crushed (save a few gingerbread men or Christmas-shaped biscuits to put on top of the cheesecake)
- 75g sugar
- 100g butter, melted
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
For the compote
- 300g mixed frozen berries (I used dark red cherries, blueberries, cranberries and some raspberries)
- 50g sugar
- For the cheesecake:
- 1kg full fat cream cheese
- 300g caster sugar
- 6 eggs
- 2 tsps of vanilla extract or bean paste
- 100ml double cream
- 100ml sour cream
100g white chocolate, melted
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- For the base, melt the butter in a small pan, add the vanilla and put to one side to cool a little.
- Crush the biscuits and stir in the sugar. Mix into the melted butter.
- For the cheesecake, put the cream cheese and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl with the vanilla extract, beat well until creamy.
- Using an electric hand whisk or the stand mixer, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in the sour cream and double cream, and mix gently until combined.
- Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a lined springform cake tin.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the biscuit base.
- Stand the cheesecake tin on a tray and put it into the preheated oven to bake for about 50 minutes. It should be golden but still have a little wobble.
- Leave to cool at room temperature and then for a couple of hours in the fridge, before carefully removing the cheesecake from its tin and putting it on a serving plate.
- For the compote, put the berries into a pan and let them defrost and then cook until heated through. Add the honey or sugar and bubble for a few more minutes. Put to one side to cool a little. It should thicken as it cools.
- When you are ready to put the topping on, gently melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Spoon the warm berries on to the top of the cheesecake, drizzle with the melted white chocolate. Add a few Christmas decorations, some sprigs of rosemary as little trees, or perhaps some tiny gingerbread men biscuits.
