cheesecake Archives - Page 2 of 5

Cappuccino Cheesecake

26|06|2018

If you are a coffee lover, take your caffeine addiction to a whole new level with this cheesecake. A simple cookie crust with a creamy coffee spiked filling and some luscious whipped cream on top, this is like a delicious coffee hug in these cold winter nights. I’m not sure if I say this every winter, but this year I really do feel like curling up inside my blanket and never coming out. School holidays are about to begin next week and I’m actually looking forward to sleeping in. Talking about holidays, it is the perfect time to whip up some new creations so I’m looking forward to that too. Is there anything you want me to create or perhaps see in this space?

If you’ve been with me for a while, you know that I’m a big fan of baked cheesecakes. They are always forgiving and flexible. You could go with your choice of cookies for the crust, substitute sour cream with yogurt and add more coffee if you like. I’ve even made a version of this with a shot of espresso some time ago. While the coffee connoisseurs loved it, others found it too strong. So here I’ve just stuck to instant coffee.

I hope you all are enjoying the seasons in your part of the world. The great thing about coffee though is that it can be enjoyed all year round!

Cappuccino Cheesecake
Makes an 8 inch round cheesecake

250 g pack digestive biscuits
100 g unsalted butter, melted
250 x 2 tubs cream cheese
3/4 cups castor sugar (or more if you like it sweeter)
1/2 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
1.5 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water
whipped cream, to decorate
cocoa powder, to dust
cocoa nibs, to decorate

Process biscuits in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix together. Place an 8 inch spring form pan over a baking tray. Pour the biscuit mixture onto the Spring form pan and press down evenly over the base with your fingers to form the crust. Place the baking tray in the fridge and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 160 degrees C (140 degrees C for fan-forced ovens) Process the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time and continue to whisk until well blended. Add the coffee mixture and beat till combined. Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the prepared crust.
Carefully place the baking tray into the oven and bake for 55 minutes to an hour or until the sides are set and the centre is till a bit wobbly. Switch off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the cheesecake cool inside the oven (this will ensure that the cheesecake does not crack). Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

When ready to serve, dollop or pipe whipped cream. Dust with powdered cocoa.

Baked Cardamom Ricotta Cheesecake with Western Union for Mother’s Day

13|05|2018

This post is brought to you by Western Union. All opinions expressed in this post as always are entirely my own.

Mother’s Day every year is a walk down memory lane. Precious moments from childhood, the countless times Mum put us first in her life, her persistent encouragement through all these years and the lessons that she taught us for life. Some of my fondest memories growing up were when I would watch her in the kitchen cook with deft and skill with a handful of ingredients and turn them into a delicious 5 course meal. She was (still is) a clever cook, always ready with some useful tip or trick up her sleeve. ‘Cooking doesn’t have to be cumbersome.’ she would say whilst entertaining a large number of guests every weekend who were always in awe of her. The most important culinary lesson I’ve learnt from her that I embrace all the time in my kitchen- simple ingredients and lots of colour. Today Mum is far away back in India but I feel closer to her by recreating her ‘sondesh’ with a modern touch to it for my little boys.

I’m absolutely delighted to be partnering with Western Union for this very special day. As a result of moving money across 200+ countries, Western Union’s customers are incredibly diverse-just like the world we live in and the food we eat.
One of the simplest ways that we can appreciate and express cultural diversity is by sharing food. Meals are much more than food on a plate. They are ways we can find common ground. The comfort that comes with a delicious recipe lovingly prepared by Mom is universal. Western Union believes in celebrating the little things like the food we eat, places we’ve been, our Mums or the reason why we send funds because they are important part of what makes us, who we are.

‘Sondesh’ was a popular delicacy in Bengali households when I was growing up. Three simple ingredients (chana/ricotta cheese, sugar and ground cardamom) and whoa! You have a dessert that is light and just melts in your mouth. Mum would go about garnishing them with various nuts like pistachios, dried orange peel, spices and they would look like they could give the local sweet shops a run for their money. Yes, it’s obvious I inherited my sweet tooth from her! This Cardamom Ricotta Cheesecake is inspired by my Mum’s ‘sondesh’ recipe. It has the same ingredients except that it is baked and uses eggs to set the filling. Thanks to the rise of global citizenship, we can find new ways all over the world to add a unique touch to our Mother’s traditional recipes while sharing with friends. To decorate the cheesecake, I’ve used strawberries that have been soaked in rosewater (another favourite from childhood). It’s a really simple, light-crust less cheesecake that is so refreshing to taste.

So, tell me dear readers, what is your favourite dish cooked by your Mum? Do you make it just the way Mum did or do you have a version inspired by it? I’m really excited to know!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful Mums, Grandmums, would-be Mums and anyone who plays this role in your life!

Cardamom Ricotta Cheesecake
Makes an 8 inch round cheesecake that serves 6-8 people

750 g smooth ricotta
1/3 cup castor sugar
1 tsp powdered cardamom
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Method : Preheat oven to 170 degrees C (150 degrees C for fan-forced ovens). Grease the base and sides of an 8 inch Springform pan. With an electric mixer or a hand mixer, beat the ricotta, sugar and powdered cardamom together till smooth. Add the egg, a little at a time and continue to beat till fully blended.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and tap the pan gently a few times on the bench top to get rid of air bubbles.

Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a crust starts to form all over the cheesecake (the top will become light golden brown) and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn off oven, leave the door ajar and let cheesecake cool completely before releasing the sides.

Refrigerate until serving. When ready to serve, top with rosewater macerated strawberries. Decorate with edible flowers.

Rosewater Macerated Strawberries
1 punnet strawberries (250 g), hulled and sliced
1 tablespoon castor sugar
1 tsp rosewater

Method : Combine strawberries, castor sugar and rosewater in a medium bowl. Cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator for an hour.
Note : Powdered cardamom is available at most local supermarkets as well as Indian stores. Rosewater can be bought online as well as in Indian supermarkets.

Goats Cheese Cheesecake

30|03|2018

The egg-stra long Easter weekend has started for us already and that means lots of fun, food and entertainment for the family. Food is of course, the highlight at my place. Coming up with new dessert ideas is my favourite bit and if they are make-ahead as well as easy, they tick all the boxes for me. The days are still quite sunny and evenings, a bit cooler so a slice of chilled cheesecake with seasonal figs and strawberries is a great Autumnal treat for guests. Not just any cheesecake, but a Goats Cheese flavored baked cheesecake that is the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess exploding with delicious flavours in the mouth.

When it comes to Goats chesese, people are divided in their preference for this variety of cheese. How about you? I enjoy it in most savoury dishes but absolutely LOVE it’s presence in sweet recipes. It adds that little touch of salty/sour-ish flavour that cuts down the richness of a heavy sweet dish and makes it even more desirable. If you ask me, it all comes down to the quality of Goats cheese used. After trying out a few different brands and types, I really like the Yarra Valley Fresh Goats Cheese. It’s soft, creamy and tastes great. If you haven’t tried Goats cheese before this or don’t enjoy it as much, I would urge you to try this cheesecake. It’s truely unique and something new to offer to your guests. Besides, you can make it a couple of days before and relax during the holidays. According to my friends, it tastes even better after a few days in the fridge so I’m excited now that it’s all done and ready to be devoured.

Have a great Easter with your family and hope you enjoy a delicious break!

Goats Cheese Cheesecake
Makes an 8 inch round cheesecake

250 g pack digestive biscuits
100 g unsalted butter, melted
250 x 2 tubs cream cheese
120 g pack Fresh Goats Cheese (I used Yarra Valley Fresh Goats Cheese)
3/4 cups castor sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 large eggs
1/3 cup strawberry jam, to serve
fresh fruit, to serve

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 160 degrees C (140 degrees C for fan-forced ovens) Process the cream cheese, goats cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time and continue to whisk until well blended. Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the prepared crust.
Carefully place the baking tray into the oven and bake for 55 minutes to an hour or until the sides are set and the centre is till a bit wobbly. Switch off the oven, leave the door ajar and let the cheesecake cool inside the oven (this will ensure that the cheesecake does not crack). Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

When ready to serve, place the strawberry jam in a microwaveable cup with 3 tbsp of water. Microwave for 30=40 seconds or until the jam turns into liquid/strawberry sauce. Drizzle all over the top of the cheesecake. Decorate with fresh fruits. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Hot Cross Buns Frozen Cheesecake

7|03|2018

Easter is upon us, though I think I’m slightly early this year. But believe me, I have already eaten my entire weight in hot cross buns. Who can resist them? Slather them with butter or cream cheese, turn them into sandwiches, grill them or eat them plain. I’ve tried so many things with them and I’ve still not had enough. My favourite bakery, Bakers Delight has the most amazing, melt-in-your mouth buns busting with flavour and every time I’m on a grocery trip, I try to look away as they’re so irresistible!

Last week I was having a Choc Chip hot cross bun with ice cream when the thought of making an ice cream cake came to me. I love ice cream cakes but they become runny even as you slice them so a better version was a frozen cheesecake. Simple and so delicious! It’s officially Autumn in Australia but the weather is warm and sunny. But who needs a reason to eat ice cream, right?

If you’ve ever tried a Hot Cross Bun ice cream sandwich, this is just a large version of it. The base and the top are the buns. Sandwiched between them is a filling of cream cheese, chocolate ice cream, berries and pieces of hot cross buns. Since the buns already have tonnes of flavour in them, especially cinnamon, the resulting combo is just out of this world. To make it bright and fun, of course we need to top them with chocolate eggs. And that’s it! The perfect centrepiece for your Easter Table with barely any effort.

Notes:

This will work with any flavour of hot cross bun or ice cream so go ahead, have fun with your choices
I use my old, trusted springform pan for such recipes so I never feel the need to line the insides with cling wrap. If you are not confident, first line the base and sides with cling film before making the base. It will ensure easier removal of the cheesecake.
This is an easy recipe but the most important step is to ensure,you take the cheesecake out mid way while freezing just before it is about to set. Otherwise the bun tops will sink into the mixture and won’t have the look (they will still taste delicious though)!

Hot Cross Bun Frozen Cheesecake
Makes a 19 cm round cheesecake

6-7 Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns (I bought mine from Bakers Delight)
2 tbsp castor sugar (or to your taste)
500 g cream cheese (2 tubs), room temperature
500 ml chocolate ice-cream, softened (store bought)
1 punnet fresh raspberries
chocolate sauce, to drizzle
chocolate eggs, to decorate,

Split 5 hot cross buns in half horizontally. Tear the other buns into small pieces.

Line the base of a 19 cm springform pan with the bottom half of the buns. If there are gaps in between, fill them up with small pieces of buns to ensure the base is covered completely.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer or a whisk until well blended. Add the ice cream and mix well. Fold in the torn hot cross buns pieces and the raspberries (leaving a few for decoration). Pour the mixture onto the prepared springform pan. Place in the freezer for 1 hour -1.5 hours. The cheesecake should have solidified slightly but not set. Remove from freezer and top with the top half of the hot cross buns. Press down slightly so they snugly fit in. Freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, Top with fresh raspberries and chocolate eggs. Slice and enjoy!