White Chocolate Cheesecake

In the hope that some of us actually followed up with our new year plan to eat healthy, I think it is time to reward yourself and those around you with a much-needed treat. That is where this recipe to the perfect cheesecake comes in, and though there are calories we can find cheer in the fact that almost all the ingredients used here are part of the power ingredients that help grow healthy hair. But all facts/jokes apart this is yet another favorite of mine. I have always been an ardent fan of white chocolate since childhood and to get to add it to yet another dessert is a perk of being a science nerd. But do not fret you guys, for those who did not major in science, you can ace this easy recipe too because thankfully the desire to make something you crave scores higher than any other factor.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Servings: Serves 6-8

Prep time: 15 mins

Baking time: 45-60 mins

Ingredients:

◻ 1 cup crushed Graham/Digestive/Oreo cookies

◻ 2 tbsp. melted butter

◻ 1 tbsp. sugar(optional)

◻ Pinch salt

◻ 1 pound cream cheese (2 packs of Philadelphia cream cheese)

◻ ½ cup sugar

◻ 2 eggs

◻ 1 tsp vanilla essence

◻ 1/3 cup sour cream (Greek yogurt/hung curd)

◻ 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

◻ ¾ cup white chocolate chips(optional)

◻ ½ cup berry sauce (2tbsp water, 1 tsp sugar, ½ cup berries, squeeze of lemon)

Preparation:

1. Keep all the ingredients outside the fridge to reach room temp (at least an hour to two) and melt the white chocolate chips/pieces in an oven proof bowl in the microwave at 30 sec intervals and stir in between every interval until uniformly melted (1.5-2.5 mins depending on oven temp).

2.Berry Sauce: this is an optional step but does give the cake a spectacular color, flavor and texture. Take 2 tbsp. water in a small saucepan, add in the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice and cook until it starts to simmer, stir while cooking for another 5 more minutes. Then switch off the flame and allow it to cool. You can puree the mix and add it to the top before baking as I have done or save it with the berries and add it as a topping to the cheesecake once baked and cooled.

3. Preheat oven to 180℃ while you start with the biscuit base. You can either blitz it in a processor or put it into a zip lock bag and use a roller to beat it into crumbs. Empty the crumbs into a small bowl, add the melted butter, salt and mix evenly to coat all the crumbs. I cover the outside of the tin with a foil wrap that surrounds the sides and the bottom of the tin. (It is important to cover while using a water bath and to allow uniform heating)

4. Butter the insides of an 8-inch spring foam pan/ pan with removable base and add the crumbs and press them gently to the base to form a biscuit base. The biscuit base should extend along the edges so that it is sealed, and the cheesecake mixture doesn’t seep out. There are 2 ways to set the crumbs, the 1st is to bake it for 10 mins and allow to cool, this gives a slightly toasted taste to the biscuit base and the 2nd would be to simply set it in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes.

5. To make the perfect cream cheese filling, add the room temperature cream cheese to the bowl and beat until smooth and creamy for not more than a minute, add the sugar and mix for another 30 sec to a minute, now add one egg at a time, mix uniformly, add the vanilla essence, sour cream, heavy whipping cream one at a time and mix for a few seconds. Add the cooled melted white chocolate and mix for another minute.

6. Add the cream cheese mixture into the mold, I have added a blueberry sauce to the top, but feel free to add any berry puree or sauce and place the pan into a large tray.

7. Now gently place this into the center rack of the oven and add boiling water to the large tray slowly, this water bath ensures a moist environment for the cream cheese to bake in and prevents drying and cracking that is often seen on the top.

8. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 180℃ until the edges appear raised and set and the center will still be wobbly.

9. Once done, leave the oven door slightly opened and allow the cheesecake to cool gradually in the oven for an hour. Take it out and chill for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.

P.S: Room temperature ingredients are key to getting the perfect texture in a cheesecake. Using a foil cover and water bath prevents overbaking and cooling within the oven after baking allows gradual cooling of the cake, all these simple measures will get you a perfectly baked cheesecake with no/minimal cracks and a wobbly center (almost like a set Jell-O consistency) cheesecake. The flavor should totally be left to your taste preferences, craving and obviously the availability of ingredients. This recipe without the white chocolate will make a basic cheesecake. You can also substitute the white chocolate with milk/dark chocolate to get a chocolate cheesecake. There are just so many different directions you can take with the crust, filling and topping once you get a hang of the basic recipe.

A little bit of flour, a sprinkle of sugar and tons of love...

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