Rhubarb and Ginger Cheesecake
This is a recipe you can come back to throughout the year, using different fruits. I like it made with cream cheese, for that authentic cheesecake tang, but you can use mascarpone for a slightly milder flavour if you prefer. Taken from the Channel 4 series, River Cottage to the Core.
Method
For the rhubarb, preheat the oven to 150c/Gas 2.
Put the rhubarb in a wide oven dish, ideally in one layer. Sprinkle with the sugar, orange zest and juice, stir to mix.
Cover loosely with a layer of greaseproof or parchment paper and bake until tender and juicy but still holding its shape (about 25–35 minutes).
Leave to cool completely, then drain off the juice (it's delicious, so save it to use in a drink or smoothie, or to pour over ice cream).
Lightly butter a 23cm springform cake tin, line the base with baking parchment and butter the parchment.
To make the base, bash the biscuits to a crumb or blitz in a food processor until fairly fine. A few coarse bits are absolutely fine though.
Transfer to a mixing bowl, pour over the melted butter and mix. Tip into the tin and press in firmly with the bottom of a glass or ramekin so you get an even layer.
Chill the base while you make the filling.
For the filling, beat the cream cheese, ginger, ginger syrup, sugar, cream, orange zest and juice together until well blended.
Using a whisk beat until the mixture thickens enough to hold its shape.
Spoon on to the biscuit base and spread into an even layer.
Chill for 4 hours or overnight, until firm.
Run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake and release the side of the tin.
Serve with the cold baked rhubarb on top or on the side.
Ingredients
For the biscuit base:
85g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
200g ginger biscuits
For the filling:
400g cream cheese (or use mascarpone, if you prefer)
3 balls of preserved stem ginger, finely chopped, plus 3 tablespoons syrup from the jar
25g caster sugar
200ml double cream
Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 orange
For the rhubarb:
400g (trimmed weight) rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 4cm batons
75g caster sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 orange.
This recipe is taken from...
If you like this recipe, you might like the following course...
River Cottage Four Day Cookery Course
The ultimate River Cottage experience. A four-day cookery course covering fish, meat, vegetables and bread with Hugh F-W and the River...
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