Yorkshire Pink "Champagne" Rhubarb Cheesecake

Yorkshire Pink "Champagne" Rhubarb Cheesecake


From the Great British Bake Off Calender April 2013

As you can see i used strawberries instead of rhubarb as  a) we don't like rhubarb and  b) Rhubarb is nowhere to be found  in  supermarkets The Netherlands..........
Let's pretend i used Rhubarb.... Oh and this is an overnighter, and make sure you don't need the oven for anything else.

Shopping List:

For the base:
100 gr digestive biscuits, crushed
50 gr melted unsalted butter

For the filling:
900 gr cream cheese ( not low-fat)
grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 gr caster sugar
4 medium free-range eggs, beaten
450 ml sour cream

For the topping:
275 gr young pink rhubarb
3 tablespoons strawberry jam or conserve


 A 22-23 cm springform/clip tin, greased or spray not lined and a baking tray.

Preheat your oven to 150C. To make the base, mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter, tip it in your prepared tin, then press down with the back of a spoon to make an even layer. Chill while making the filling.

Put the cream cheese, grated lemon and orange zests, vanilla and sugar into a mixing bowl, or the bowl of a food mixer. Beat at a low to medium speed with an electric whisk or the mixer until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl now and then. Gradually beat in the eggs, followed by the sour cream. When thoroughly combined, pour the filling into the the tin, set on the baking tray.
Carefully transfer to the oven ( the tin will be almost full) and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until just firm. The mixture will puff up, then sink on cooling ( it nearly always cracks too, but the topping disguises this). Turn off the oven but don't open the oven door, and leave the cheesecaje to cool slowly for 1 and a 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and, when completely cold, cover and chill overnight.

The topping can be baked alongside the cheesecake. Rinse the rhubarb, trim off the ends and cut on the diagonal into 2 to 3 cm lenghts. Spread the jam over the base of a large ovenproof baking dish and arrange the rhubarb on top.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. When ready to finish the cheesecake, remove the rhubarb from its liquid, draining well. Spoon the rhubarb cooking juices into a small pan and simmer over a low heat for a few minutes until syrupy. Unclip the tin and set the cheescake on a serving plate. Arrange the fruit on top, and brush generously with hot syrup.
Chill until ready to serve.


                                                              "Enjoy"