This cheesecake was a delight when served at a family get together a couple of weeks ago. Really easy to put together too makes this a super fuss free delicious dessert for a crowd. On a side note, I thought this is a really good example of food styling in food magazines vs how food actually turns out. Those of you who go ahead and check the original recipe by BBC Good Food, will notice that the seemingly stewed rhubarb topping the cheesecake is in perfect condition. My experience with stewing rhubarb is that unless you stew it for 2 minutes only (which will leave it uncooked) there is no way it will keep it’s integrity as per the photo! Nonetheless, the cheesecake was still super tasty so it doesn’t really matter…

More in desserts: Salted Caramel Cheesecake; Eastern Mess

Rhubarb & gingernut cheesecake

Rhubarb-Cheesecake-1

Serves 8 – 10 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 25 mins | Requires a few hrs of chilling
Easy | Vegetarian*

You’ll need:

  • 500g forced rhubarb, chopped into 4cm lengths;
  • 150g caster sugar;
  • 1 blood orange, zested and juiced;
  • 1 vanilla pod;
  • 100g butter, melted, plus extra for the tin;
  • 200g gingernut biscuits;
  • 500g mascarpone* or soft cheese;
  • 100g thick natural yogurt;
  • 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and fill with the rhubarb. Scatter over the sugar and orange zest and pour over the juice. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod in there too, throwing the spent pod on top. Cover with foil and roast for 20 mins. Remove from the oven. Purée a third of the rhubarb, reserving the rest for the top.

Butter a 20cm springform cake tin and line it with baking parchment. To make the base, put the biscuits in a bag and smash them with a rolling pin, or put them in a food processor and grind to crumbs. Tip into a mixing bowl, and stir in a pinch of sea salt. Pour the butter over the crumbs. Mix it together with a fork and tip it into the tin. Tap the side of the tin with your hand to even the crumbs out, and gently compress it with the back of a large spoon until it’s packed in and level. You want it fairly well packed so that it holds together. Put in the fridge to chill.

To make the filling, put the cheese and yogurt into a mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat it together. Mix until combined and thickened, then fold through the rhubarb purée. Pile the mixture on top of the biscuit base and smooth it down. Cover with cling film and chill for 6 hrs or up to overnight until set.

Remove the rhubarb from its syrup with a slotted spoon, tip the syrup into a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce for about 3-5 mins until the syrup is more concentrated. Allow to cool.

When ready to serve, carefully remove the cheesecake from its tin. Pile the rhubarb on top and drizzle over some syrup (you can save the rest for drizzling over porridge), then scatter with the pistachios to serve.

*Mascarpone, is a vegetarian cheese, however, always check the label to ensure that it is produced the standard way.

Original recipe by BBC Good Food, available online here.

Previously posted on 13th of May on Food Notes:

== 2018 ==
* Large, Fluffy Pancakes with Pancetta & Maple: https://foodnotesdotblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/13/large-fluffy-pancakes-with-pancetta-maple/