I made this cheesecake to celebrate Australia Day at home with family and friends. On this day many years ago I was sitting in a Citizenship ceremony and I became an Australian. I often think back at the how’s and why’s that brought me here so far away from Colombia.
Australia’s cuisine is as diverse as its inhabitants. The country’s diverse cultural influences and vibrant mix of flavours inspired me to take my first steps on my culinary journey from Perth to Paris. Why a cheese cake and not a pavlova for this special day???No excuses are required, coconut is the flavour of the moment in my kitchen and this coconut cheesecake is the easiest cheesecake ever.
Why not give this one try! A little creativity is all it takes to turn an everyday cheesecake into a special dessert. The coconut cream makes it creamy and utterly delicious. The key to make it even more beautiful comes down to the fresh berries in season. This cheesecake melts in your mouth and the result is soft perfection!
Ingredients
- 180 grams digestive biscuits
- 85 grams unsalted butter
- 500 grams creamy soft cheese ( I used Philadelphia cream cheese)
- 2 medium free range eggs
- 180 ml coconut cream
- 100 grams caster sugar
- a few drops of coconut essence (optional)
For the fruit topping
- 200 grams each of cherries, raspberries and blueberries
- 75 ml apple juice
- 2 tablespoons vanilla bean dusting sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn flour
- Mint leaves and roasted macadamias to decorate
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150C.
- Place the biscuits in a food bag or in a bowl and finely crush with a rolling pin.
- Melt the butter and mix with the biscuits in a bowl.
- Pack into the base and slightly up the sides of an 18cm loose-bottomed or spring-form cake tin. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon. Put in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
- Put the soft cheese in a bowl and beat well until soft then add the eggs, coconut cream, coconut essence and sugar. Beat all the ingredients well until combined.
- Spoon into the tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the filling is lightly set but still slightly wobbly in the centre.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin then chill overnight, this will make the cheesecake easier to slice.
- Meanwhile, for the fruit topping. Halve and stone the cherries.
- Place them in a saucepan with the apple juice and sugar and cook gently for 3-4 minutes, until they have softened slightly.
- Blend the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of cold water and add to the saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes until thickened and bubbling.
- Tip into a bowl, stir in the blueberries and raspberries and leave to cool.
- Loosen the edges of the cheesecake with a knife then lift out onto a serving plate.
- Pile the fruits on top and scatter over a few mint leaves and roasted macadamias before cutting into wedges to serve.
Tips
- Do not over beat the cheesecake, this will make the cheesecake puff in the oven, then fall and crack when it cools.
- The hardest part of cheesecake-making is knowing when it’s done baking. For most cheesecakes, there will be a small area in the centre that is still wobbly when gently shaken. This is the time to take it out of the oven. No worries, the jiggle portion in the centre will firm up during chilling.
- It is a long and painful task to de-stone cherries. I bought a little gadget to help me take the stones out of the cherries faster. It worked and made my life easier. If you ever see one in a shop BUY IT.
Perth to Paris Recipes 