Spiced white chocolate and cherry cheesecake Recipe

Name: Spiced white chocolate and cherry cheesecake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 16-20 servings
Ingredients: 250g digestive biscuits; 1 tbsp ras el hanout spice blend; 100g butter, melted; 400g white chocolate, chopped; 550g full fat soft cheese; 4 large eggs; 100g caster sugar; 300ml soured cream; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 x 425g tins cherries in syrup, drained; 4 tbsp cherry brandy (or Kirsch or regular brandy); 100g caster sugar; juice of ½ lemon; 5 tsp cornflour

Ingredients

250g digestive biscuits
1 tbsp ras el hanout spice blend
100g butter, melted
400g white chocolate, chopped
550g full fat soft cheese
4 large eggs
100g caster sugar
300ml soured cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 x 425g tins cherries in syrup, drained
4 tbsp cherry brandy (or Kirsch or regular brandy)
100g caster sugar
juice of ½ lemon
5 tsp cornflour

	PREP TIME 30m	COOK TIME 1h25m	TOTAL TIME 1h55m
YIELD 16-20 servings

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3. Butter and line a 23cm springform tin with baking paper (make sure the base is turned flattest side up, so that the lip won’t cause problems when removing the finished cheesecake from the mould).
Blitz the digestive biscuits in a processor until sandy in texture. Add the ras el hanout and pulse to mix. Pour into a mixing bowl and add the melted butter. Combine well with a spoon and press into the bottom of your prepared tin. Chill until ready to use.
In a heatproof bowl, over a small pan of simmering water (be sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water), melt the chopped white chocolate. Stir until smooth and remove from the heat but keep in a warm spot of the kitchen. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the soft cheese to loosen it, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the sugar, soured cream and vanilla, and mix well. Finally, add the melted white chocolate, and mix again.
Remove the tin from the fridge, and top the base with the cheese mixture, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Place on a baking tray and into the middle of your preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour, until golden and set around the edges, but still rather wobbly in the middle. Turn the oven off, propping the door open with a wooden spoon, and allow to cool completely. Chill until ready to serve.
Put all the compote ingredients apart from the cornflour into a saucepan with 200ml water over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Mix the cornflour to a paste with a little cold water, then add to the pan and cook, stirring, until thickened. Remove from the heat, pour into a container, cool and store in the fridge.
To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin and spoon the compote over the top. Decorate however you like; try gold or silver leaf, dried or crystallised rose petals or even some traditional candied angelica.