Years ago I made a white chocolate cheesecake for some friends who loved it so much that it has become something of an urban-legend among our urban-family. Sadly I seem to have somehow lost the original recipe and I have been experimenting with various others for the past few months in the hope of rebottling the lightning. None of the recipes sampled were quite right until I found this fabulous number and adapted it to make it 'white chocolate' flavoured. It's seriously creamy and seriously moreish - the extra effort of baking in a water bath really makes all the difference.
INGREDIENTS
- 100g butter, melted
- 300g wheatmeal biscuits
- 500g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 200g white chocolate
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- few drops pure vanilla, or vanilla extract to taste
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups sour cream
Brush the base and sides of a 22cm x 6cm deep springform tin with a little of the melted butter. Remove the base from the tin.
Cut a round of baking paper to fit the base of the tin, brush the paper with a little butter and set aside.
Tear off an 80cm sheet of foil and double it over so it measures 40cm in length. Lay the foil over the base of the tin, then put the buttered round of paper on top. Sit the springform tin over the base and lock the sides into place, leaving excess foil outside the tin. Draw up the excess foil around the tin and fold the top out of the way. You now have a watertight container.
Crush the biscuits in a food processor. Add the remaining butter and process. Press the crumb mixture into the base of the tin (and up the sides if you wish), tapping firmly with the base of a glass tumbler or similar as you go.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer until smooth. Add the white chocolate and then beat in the cornflour, then add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating each time just until smooth. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Add the sour cream and beat briefly to combine. Be careful not to over-beat or the cake will deflate in the oven.
Pour the batter into the tin and stand the tin in a large baking dish. Pour boiling water into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the tin. Bake for 50 minutes, then turn off the oven but do not open the door for a further hour.
Lift the tin from the water bath and flatten the foil away from the sides just in case there is any water trapped inside. Cool completely in the tin on a wire rack and refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.
This would be particularly delicious with a raspberry coulis...
