A rather epic (and indulgent) spiced Christmas cheesecake with brandy caramel

Cheesecake. Let’s think on that for a moment. Cheese + cake. In other words pure deliciousness. So when PHILLY asked if I would participate in a bloggers cheesecake challenge – to come up with a Christmas inspired cheesecake - you can imagine I couldn’t say yes fast enough*.

Any food obsessed Instagram follower would know there is a huge trend for layered cakes, their tops bursting with edible bits and bobs. They make for a great photo and an even greater eating opportunity but for some reason this hasn’t translated to the good ole cheesecake. So I made it my personal mission to layer up a no bake cheesecake. I thought about this cheesecake adventure long and hard, and here’s what I did. Can I introduce you to the spiced chocolate and hazelnut cheesecake with salted caramel popcorn and brandy caramel. It's delicious any way you slice it.

*In the interests of full disclosure this post isn’t sponsored but thanks to PHILIDELPHIA Australia for supplying me with the cream cheese to make this cake!

Spiced Christmas cheesecake with hazelnut, ginger and brandy caramel

Ingredients

Cheesecake

250g gingersnap biscuits

150g butter, melted

1 ½ tbsp. mixed spice

750g PHILADELPHIA block cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup caster sugar

450ml cream, whipped to soft peak

1 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

4 1/2 tsp gelatine powder

2 tbsp boiling water

10 hazelnut chocolates, roughly crumbled

Brown sugar meringue

40g light brown sugar

2 eggwhites

50g caster sugar

Brandy caramel

320g brown sugar

300ml pouring cream

80g coarsely chopped butter

40g golden syrup

40ml brandy

Topping

Caramelised popcorn

Christmas wafers

Gingersnap biscuits

Hazelnut chocolates

Extra dark chocolate, melted, for drizzling

 

Method

Grease a high sided 25cm-round (base) spring form pan.

Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and process until combined. Add the mixture to the tin and press over the base. Cover and refrigerate.

Add the PHILLY cream cheese, mixed spice, caster sugar and vanilla bean seeds to the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until combined and the spices are fully incorporated. Separate a third of the mixture and place in the fridge for later use.

Place 3 teaspoons of the gelatine powder in a small bowl. Top with 1 ½ tablespoons of boiling water and using a fork, whisk briskly until the powder has melted. Working quickly pour this mixture into the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined. Gently fold through the whipped cream then pour the mixture into the tin over the biscuit base. Tap the bottom to release any air bubbles then level top with a spatula. Cover and place cheesecake in the fridge until set, preferably overnight. Remove the remaining cheesecake mixture from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Place in a mixing bowl. Place remaining gelatine powder in a small bowl and top with remaining amount of boiling water, whisking with a fork. Add to the cream cheese mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

Top the set cheesecake section with the crumbled hazelnut chocolates. Scoop the cheesecake mixture over the top and return the cake to the fridge.

Preheat oven to 120C.

For the meringue, beat the eggwhites until soft peaks form. Add the caster sugar, gradually beating until the whites are glossy and the sugar has dissolved. With motor still running, slowly add the brown sugar. Line a biscuit tray with baking paper. Spoon a large blob onto the tray and using the back of a spoon smooth the meringue to create a flat layer. This makes more than you need for the cheesecake so with any remaining mixture, make normal meringues for later use. Bake meringue for about 50 minutes or until cooked and when tapped you get a nice hollow sound. Allow to cool before breaking into random sized shards and drizzling over the melted chocolate.

For brandy caramel, stir ingredients in a saucepan until sugar dissolves, bring to the boil and cook until thick and syrupy (5-10 minutes). Add a pinch of salt and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Using a spoon, gently scoop the caramel over the top of the cold cheesecake, using your spoon to push it over the sides to create a drip effect. Immediately return to the fridge to lightly set. With the brandy in the caramel it won’t set as solidly as normal caramel but don’t worry, it layers and pools gloriously round the base of the cheesecake.

Top the cheesecake with the topping ingredients – as much or as little as you like. Best served on the day of making.

Here is the first layer topped with hazelnut chocolates

A Spelt Blueberry Tart, a Deep Dish Pizza for Summer.... and a random Macaron Rocky Road Smash

Yes yes, I am playing catch up. Somehow the weeks keep ticking over and before I know it, a month has passed and I havent been here. Can I be that guy and blame the tricky balance of work deadlines, trying to write again, a two year old and a 3month old baby? Will you give me that?  If you won't maybe these recipes will convince you to forgive me. 

Hope everyone is looking forward to Christmas. We are staying put this year, just spending time with family and friends. I cannot wait. 

Blueberry, spelt and crystallised rosemary tart

Love it or hate it, that time of year is upon us. That time where we have to dig out the red lipstick, don something more respectable than sweats and invite people over. It's the holidays and you want to be slightly impressive. Impressive with both the red lipstick and the food offering. So I suggest you try this blueberry tart. It's delicious. And fresh. All the while still being sufficiently indulgent enough to call it dessert. Basically it's a multi-tasker. The very best kind and one that is dreamy beyond compare.

Blueberries and rosemary are a match made in heaven. In heaven I tell you. Get baking. Preferably in the red lipstick just to give the whole process a sense of occasion.

Ingredients

1-2 sprigs rosemary

1 eggwhite

60g caster sugar

500g blueberries

¼ cup dried blueberries

1 cup thick yoghurt

1 tbsp honey

Spelt pastry

2 cups spelt flour, cold

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

2/3 cup butter, cubed

pinch sea salt flakes

3 tbsp sugar (use caster or rapadura)

5-7  tbsp ice water

Method

Brush the rosemary sprigs with eggwhite, pulling at the individual leaves so they are covered then sprinkle with caster sugar. Place on a baking paper lined tray and set aside for 12 hours or overnight to dry.

Grease and line a loose bottomed pie tin (I used a 23cm tin but there is enough pastry for a 28cm tin).  

For the pastry add the flour, vanilla bean seeds, butter, salt and sugar to a food processor and pulse until a crumble mixture is achieved. Add the ice water slowly as needed until the mixture is just coming together. You don't want to overwork the dough. Once combined, turn out and form a disc. Cover in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out between 2 sheets of baking paper until it is about ½ cm thick then line your tart tin with it, gently pressing it in. Allow to rest again for 20-30 minutes then cover with baking paper and pastry weights and blind bake (12-15 minutes). Remove weights and bake until nice and golden (7-10 minutes), then cool completely.

When ready to serve smear the yoghurt over the base and drizzle over the honey. Top with the fresh and dried blueberries then scatter over crystallised rosemary. To serve, cut indecent sized slices with a sharp knife. Best served on day of making.

The deep dish pizza of your dreams

 Deep. Dish. Pizza. Other than I Love you – no utterance of three words fills me with such infinite joy. So I'll say it again, just to bring you along for the ride. Deep. Dish. Pizza.

I've never been to Chicago. One day I'll definitely get there but for now I sustain myself with things the city is renowned for – like binge watching the Good Wife and one of the greatest culinary concoctions - the deep dish pizza. Gah, you get the best of both worlds – sh%tloads of topping and s--tloads of crust with every happy freakin mouthful. Why hello dear friend! I've tried to spin a more summer inspired version here with zucchini, mint, lemon and just the smallest hint of chilli. Pizza night just got a little more interesting….

Ingredients

1tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsp olive oil

1 ½ sachets (about 10g) instant dried yeast

1 cup warm water

2 cups pizza flour

2 cups plain flour

generous pinch sea salt flakes

1 tbsp milk powder

Topping

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 zucchini, finely sliced on a mandolin

½ cup fresh mint leaves

1 x ball buffalo mozzarella, coarsely torn

¼ cup soft Persian fetta

¼ cup smoked cheddar, grated

zest of 1 lemon

pinch of Aleppo pepper

1 tbsp olive oil to drizzle

Method

Grease and line a loose bottomed 28cm pie tin.

Combine the brown sugar, warm water, oil and yeast in a bowl. Set aside for 10-15 minutes until it froths slightly with bubbles on the surface.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook combine the flours, sea salt flakes and milk powder. Pulse briefly to combine. Add the yeast mixture and kneed until the dough comes together, it will be slightly sticky but should look smooth and a little shiny. Usually about 8 minutes.

Place dough in a medium bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 1 hour or until dough has doubled.

Preheat oven to 200C.

Knock back dough then divide into two balls. Spread one ball out to a rough circle and push into the bottom of the pan, spreading to cover the base. Roll the other ball out, like a sausage and then press this around the sides, using your fingers to combine the base and sides. It will be quite thick so to prevent it falling down, allow it to cover the top of the lip of your tin. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for another hour to rest and rise again.

Bake for 10 minutes until it turns barely golden brown on the crust.

Reduce oven heat to 180C.

Allow pizza crust to cool slightly then smear the base with the tomato paste. Add the zucchini and cheese in layers with half the mint leaves. Season generously then place in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is cooked through, nice and brown and the cheese is bubbling nicely. Remove and drizzle over the olive oil, add the Aleppo pepper flakes and the lemon rind and some fresh mint. Season and serve piping hot.

A random but delightfully pretty macaron rocky road

If Willy Wonka and Santa got pissed together in the kitchen, I am convinced they would come up with something like this after about their fifth vodka. Something all together random but completely tasty and festive. And for something that is so wildly pretty to look at, it's spectacular to know that no actual cooking skills are required to complete it, making it perfect for the upcoming Christmas agenda.

If ever there was a time for edible gifts it is now and I think this rocky road is pretty much Christmas wrapped in a cellophane bag*.

*Drinks not included.

Ingredients

400g dark chocolate (60% cocoa solids)

250g milk chocolate

100g white chocolate

200g vanilla marshmallows

10 macarons, half roughly chopped, half reserved for top

1 cup plain biscuits, roughly broken into chunks

1-2 funsize kit kats, roughly broken

1 x 50g bar Cadbury aero mint chocolate, broken into chunks

Any other confectionary you feel like putting into it

Optional toppings

20g freeze dried raspberries for scattering

silver leaf for scattering

hundreds and thousands for scattering

melted chocolate for drizzling, optional

Method

Grease and line a 25cm x 16cm cake tin with baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang (for easy removal). Melt the milk and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally with a metal spoon, until smooth but don't overly mix, the two colours of chocolate make a lovely marbling effect. (2-3 minutes).

Combine the remaining ingredients except half the macarons and the silver leaf in a bowl. Pour over the chocolate and stir to coat. Spread mixture evenly over baking tin, scatter with freeze-dried raspberries, push in the remaining whole macarons and scatter over a few bits of silver leaf (if using) and hundreds and thousands. Drizzle over extra melted chocolate if you feel like it.

Set aside until firm (at least 2 hours). Turn onto a clean surface and cut into rough glorious chunks ready for over consumption.

Spiced apple pound cake with cinnamon butter cream

Apple spiced pound cake with cardamom butter cream

If you had to add a third cake to your baking repertoire outside chocolate and vanilla, I dare say this is it. A gorgeous, spiced brown sugar pound cake. It might not be a high rise, teetering on the edge thanks to 10kg of adornments but it doesn’t mean this cake is any kind of wallflower, it is small but mighty. And oh so perfect with a cup of tea.

Ingredients

180g brown sugar

240g butter

4 eggs

190g plain flour, sifted

1 heaped tsp baking powder

pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1 tsp each: cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg

1 cup dried apple, chopped

Butter cream (makes 450g)

1 tbsp ground cardamom

100g butter, softened

300g icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

75ml double cream (or use milk)

Method

Preheat oven to 175C.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and spices.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and chopped apple.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, beating until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake for 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. If you find the cake is browning too much on top., cover tightly with foil and return to oven to continue cooking.

For the butter cream beat the butter for 4 minutes on high speed until pale. Add the sugar, vanilla, cardamom and cream and beat on low speed to bring it together, then turn up and beat on high for another 2-3 minutes.

Generously ice the cake, concentrating the icing on top of the cake and create loose, decadent swirls in the icing with a knife.