Written By Catherine Parrott

Growing up with a sister who passionately refused to categorise a set cheesecake as a ‘real’ cheesecake means that I have absolutely no interest in weighing in on the age-old argument of what the best type of cheesecake is (you all have an opinion, don’t deny it!). For me, when making a set cheesecake there are a lot fewer ingredients to play with so it’s a lot less fun to make, so I’ll agree with her on this one, a baked cheesecake is best.

RECIPE:

BROWN BUTTER CHEESECAKE BASE

  • 125g DIGESTIVE BISCUITS (But perhaps consider other biscuits for this base for extra flavour. A gingernut or chocolate biscuit for example.?)

  • 50g UNSALTED BUTTER

PEACH AND SAFFRON CHEESECAKE

  • 75g UNSALTED BUTTER

  • 100g CASTER SUGAR

  • 1 WHOLE MEDIUM EGG, BEATEN

  • 500g CREAM CHEESE

  • 50g PLAIN FLOUR

  •  15ml BOILING WATER

  • PINCH OF SAFFRON

  • 100g TINNED PEACHES, CHOPPED

  • 150g DOUBLE CREAM

1 TIN OF PEACHES, TO DECORATE

WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM (Optional, I mean, isn’t everything?)

  • 200g WHITE CHOCOLATE

  • 600g DOUBLE CREAM

BEFORE YOU START…

  • Preheat your oven to 160c (fan oven, 165-170c for other, less powerful ovens)

  • Grease and line a 23cm cake tin

METHODS:

FOR THE BROWN BUTTER CHEESECAKE BASE…

Blitz your biscuits until a fine crumb. Heat the butter until nutty in colour, remove from the heat and combine with the crumb until completely coated. Pat evenly into the bottom of your cake tin, spread smoothly and place in the fridge until needed.

FOR THE PEACH AND SAFFRON CHEESECAKE FILLING…

Brown the butter, set aside to cool (you can use the same pan, if you were careful, as the butter for the cheesecake base). Meanwhile, cream the sugar and cream cheese until smooth, add the egg and mix until well combined.  Finish by mixing through the flour and folding through the cooled brown butter.

Boil the water and add the saffron, stir to infuse the water. Once the water has turned a rusty colour, sieve into the cheesecake mixture and mix to combine. Puree the peaches with a handheld blender until smooth. Add to the cheesecake mix alongside the double cream. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and smooth the surface so its level.

Slice the peaches and place around the top of the cheesecake, overlapping and leaving no gaps. Bake the cheesecake for 60-70 minutes or until it is firm to the touch a still has a slight wobble. Leave to cool at room temperature before chilling in the fridge overnight. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN HOT CHEESECAKE? ABSOLUTE FILTH. (And not the good kind)

FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM…

Heat up half the cream in a pan until steaming, pour over the chocolate and leave for a few seconds to melt. Mix gradually until smooth. Finish with the remaining cold cream and mix till smooth. Cover the surface with clingfilm and leave until needed.

TO FINISH: Before serving, whip your white chocolate cream until soft peaks and serve with your cheesecake.

Catherine Parrott
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