Ginger biscuits are my mother’s absolute best. Every now and then I like to spice up my cheesecake by adding a touch of ginger.

 

Makes 1 cake

Ginger biscuit base

60 g self-raising flour

pinch fine salt

5 ml ground ginger

1 ml bicarbonate of soda

25 g white sugar

30 g salted butter

45 ml golden syrup

60 g salted butter, melted

Cheesecake filling

200 ml cream

50 g fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated

250 g plain smooth cream cheese, at room temperature

250 g Philadelphia Cream Cheese, at room temperature

30 ml cornflour

150 g castor sugar

3 whole eggs

icing sugar, for dusting

 

Ginger biscuit base

1          Sift the flour, salt, ginger, bicarbonate of soda and sugar together.

2          Heat the 30 g butter and golden syrup in a saucepan, until melted.

3          Pour the butter and syrup into the dry ingredients and combine to form

a soft biscuit dough. Shape into small balls, place on a greased baking tray and press slightly to flatten.

4          Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10–15 minutes, until cooked.

Set aside until completely cool.

5          Place the biscuits (± 120 g) and the 60 g melted butter in a food processor

or blender and process until semi-fine.

6          Line the base and sides of a 22 cm loose-bottom or springform cake pan with greaseproof paper. Press the biscuit base firmly into the pan and

place in the fridge to firm up.

Cheesecake filling

1          Bring the cream and fresh ginger to the boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for about 20 minutes. Strain the cream into a jug, discarding the ginger.

2          Place the ginger-flavoured cream, both cream cheeses, cornflour and castor sugar into a food processor and mix until well combined and creamy.

3          Add the eggs, one at a time, processing after each addition.

4          Remove the cake pan from the fridge and pour the mixture over the chilled biscuit base.

5          Wrap the base and sides of the cake pan in foil and place in a bainmarie

(see page 169).

6          Bake in a preheated oven at 150°C for 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the bainmarie and place in the fridge to cool and firm up, overnight if possible.

7          Dust with icing sugar before serving.