With its heart-shaped topping, this orange-scented cheesecake by Steffi Knowles-Dellner is a real treat for a special occasion, afternoon tea, or a romantic dessert.
This recipe is from Lagom: The Swedish Art of Eating Harmoniously by Steffi Knowles-Dellner (£20; Quadrille).
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Ingredients
- 200g pepparkakor (Swedish ginger biscuits) or ginger nuts, whizzed to fine crumbs
- 100g unsalted butter, melted
- 150g lingonberry or soft-set strawberry jam
- 2 tsp cornflour, dissolved in 4 tsp cold water
- 4 gelatine leaves (we used Costa)
- 300ml double cream
- 100g icing sugar
- 300g full-fat cream cheese (we used Philadelphia), at room temperature
- Grated zest and juice 1 large orange
You’ll also need…
- 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin, base lined with non-stick baking paper
- A pipette for the decoration (not essential)
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Method
- Mix the ginger crumbs and melted butter in a bowl until well combined. Pack the mixture firmly into the base of the prepared cake tin, spreading it out with the back of a spoon until evenly distributed and coming slightly up the sides of the tin. Chill until needed.
- Put the berry preserve in a small bowl and mix with a few tablespoons of water to loosen. Push through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan, making sure you get as much liquid out as possible. Add the dissolved cornflour to the pan and gently heat to a thick but still drizzle-able coulis. Cool completely.
- Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in a small bowl of water for 5 minutes until soft and jelly-like. Pour the cream into a pan and bring to a simmer, then immediately remove from the heat. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine leaves and add to the warm cream, stirring until dissolved. Allow to cool slightly. Beat the icing sugar into the cream cheese along with the orange zest and juice. Add the cooled cream along with 3 tablespoons of the berry coulis and beat until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the biscuit base.
- It’s now time to decorate – and for a steady hand. Starting in the centre of the cake, use a pipette or teaspoon to dot tiny circles in a spiral pattern all the way round the cake, letting the dots get bigger as you work your way round. Starting in the middle again, use a cocktail stick to pull through the dots in a continuous circling motion – try not to lift your hand at all if you can help it. You should end up with a spiral of hearts. Cover the tin with cling film (don’t let it touch the top of the cheesecake) and chill for 6 hours or overnight until set.
Nutrition
- 379kcals Calories
- 28.3g (17.5g saturated) Fat
- 2.9g Protein
- 27.9g (20g sugars) Carbs
- 0.4g Fibre
- 0.4g Salt
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