"Mexican" Cheesecake

I think when you find a good recipe that works for you shouldn't be afraid to use it over and over again, perhaps with a few alterations. This was my attempt at making my White chocolate, Raspberry and Gingernut Cheesecakes laced with Butterscotch into something "Mexican". I.e. MINUS the Raspberry and Butterscotch PLUS candied limes (which I will admit this was my first attempt at making and were perhaps a little sour). In hindsight a splash of tequila would not have gone astray.

Perhaps not a typical "Mexican" dessert (theme for party was Mexican), but it was easy, could be made at 11pm the night before quickly, and was the first thing I made in the new kitchen (while half unpacked).

TIP: Always put the cheesecake in the fridge when you get to your host's house. If you don't the final result is a very soft/melted cheesecake. I learnt the hard way therefore there is no finish on the plate photo.

 I blamed leaving it on bench/ car while at supermarket not in fridge, Dane blamed "liquefaction" from the car ride/ over speed humps.

Dessert: White Chocolate, Raspberry and Gingernut Cheesecakes laced with Butterscotch

White Chocolate, Raspbeery and Gingernut Cheesecakes laced with Butterscotch

This recipe is for one large cheesecake however sometimes it is nice to make individual ones, as seen in the pictures. I make them in a silicon muffin pan, so they are easy to get out (just run a knife around the outside of the cake and push on bottom of the pan - they will pop out easily)

Ingredients:

150g Gingernut biscuits

75g Butter, Melted

250 mL Cream
250 mL Cream Cheese
250g Mascarpone Cheese
125g Caster Sugar
2 Tablespoons Butterscotch (1 for Base, 1 for Topping)
500g White Chocolate, Melted
1 Cup Raspberries (Frozen or Fresh)

Process biscuits, butter and butterscotch in food processor and then press into a 25cm spring foam tin, lined with baking paper. Put in fridge.

Beat, with an electric beater, cream cheese, cream, mascarpone, sugar, chocolate and butterscotch until smooth. Place raspberries in bottom of base. Pour over cheese mixture and refrigerate for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Matterhorn, Wellington: Vanilla and Black Pepper Ice-cream

I went to Matterhorn in Wellington the other night and had a lovely pineapple souffle with vanilla and black pepper ice-cream. The pepper gave the sweet vanilla a nice spicy kick and I wanted to create something easy and similar.

As i couldn't be bothered with all the stirring or setting up the ice-cream machine I opted for a vanilla and black pepper creme brulee ice-cream. I used the creme brulee recipe, which I have posted on here in an earlier post, leaving out the toffee (sugar and water mixture) and raspberries and adding 3 teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper. I then froze the mixtures after allowing them to cool in the fridge first (after cooking).


The result was surprisingly refreshing (I didn't bother to brulee the top, I just ran a knife around the container and turned it out onto a small plate!) serving it with a biscuit base, brandy snap and chopped up moro bar. 

- rest of plate explained below and in posts to come

Left: Caramelised pineapple pieces with french milk chocolate = Pineapple Lumps

Left Middle: Vanilla and Black Pepper Ice-cream with brandy snap, biscuit base and slices of moro bar = Moro Bar Medley

Right Middle: Blue Mergingue with White Chocolate, Raspberry and Gingernut Cheesecake laced with Butterscotch = Dream Bar

Right:  Dark chocolate mouse laced with Cointreau complete with Jaffa on top =Jaffas