Web-exclusive recipe: Peter Gordon's Carrot, Cinnamon and Gingernut Cheesecake |
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I love baked cheesecake and this is a version of my favourite, modified to fit this month’s carrot theme. Other spices such as nutmeg, cloves, five-spice and even cardamom work just as well as the cinnamon.
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200g carrots, peeled and trimmed
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
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250g packet gingernuts (or similar biscuit)
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80g butter, melted
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450g cream cheese
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300g ricotta
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140g crème fraiche
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260g caster sugar
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100g flour, sifted
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5 eggs
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80g cream
Preheat oven to 150°C. Line the base and sides of a deep 23-25cm loose-bottom cake tin with baking paper.
Cut carrots lengthways then steam or boil until just tender. Leave until cool enough to handle then purée as smooth as you can with the cinnamon, vanilla and lemon zest.
Place gingernuts in a food processor and blitz to coarse crumbs. Add melted butter and whiz together until fine crumbs. Press into base of prepared tin. Place tin in a shallow baking dish (to prevent excess butter running into oven during baking).
Beat cream cheese, ricotta and crème fraiche with sugar until smooth, using a balloon whisk. Turn whisk to slow speed and beat in flour then the eggs one at a time, allowing them to incorporate each time. Beat in carrot purée, then the cream.
Spread mixture over prepared base and bake in the lower half of the oven for 1 hour or until cheesecake is barely coloured, a little wobbly in the centre but firmish on the outside. (If not, then cook a further 20 minutes maximum.) Leave to cool to room temperature then place in the fridge to firm up. Serve cold. Serves 10-12
Story: Peter Gordon
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