Cheesecake with ginger poached apricots

Cheesecake with ginger poached apricots

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

Cheesecake:

• 750g light cream cheese

• 170g sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp cornstarch

• 140g crème fraîche

• 240ml single cream

• 1 lemon, zested

• 2 eggs

• 200g speculoos biscuits

• 100g melted butter

Poached Apricot:

• 6 apricots, pitted and sliced in half

• 2 tbsp ginger petals or grounded

• 350ml water

• 50g brown sugar

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 150°C.

2. In a large bowl or using a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla extract, cornstarch, and crème fraîche, and mix until combined.

3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the lemon zest and single cream. Set the cheesecake mixture aside.

4. In a food processor, pulse the speculoos biscuits until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse again until the mixture is well combined.

5. Press the speculoos crust into the bottom of a 9-inch cake mold. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the crust and smooth out the surface.

6. Bake the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour, or until set. Let it cool down completely, then chill in the refrigerator overnight.

7. To make the poached apricots, add the water, brown sugar, and ginger petals to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

8. Add the apricots to the saucepan and let them cook for 2-3 minutes, until they're slightly softened.

9. Remove the apricots from the saucepan and place them in a bowl of iced water to cool down.

10. Increase the heat to high and let the liquid in the saucepan reduce to a syrupy consistency for 6-8 minutes.

11. Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the liquid into a small bowl. Discard the ginger petals.

12. Remove the chilled cheesecake from the mold and place the poached apricots on top. Drizzle the ginger syrup over the apricots and serve.