Recipe for Colwick cheesecake with Italian meringue

By August 10th, 2018News

Head chef Dan Burridge is passionate about high quality seasonal ingredients and works with a bountiful supply of Nottinghamshire’s best produce. Here Dan shares the recipe for one of his favourite desserts, Colwick cheesecake with Italian meringue and figs. We’ll sure you’ll love this local Nottinghamshire cheese as much as we do!

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the cheesecake

250g Colwick cheese

63g sugar

20g flour

½ vanilla pod

½ zest lemon

1½ eggs

70g crème fraiche

13g cocoa butter

½ bronze gelatine leaf, soaked

 

For the Italian meringue

100g sugar

100g egg white

30g water

 

For the oat shortbread

137g oats

50g flour

75g sugar

1g bicarbonate of soda

1.5g salt

112g cold butter

 

For the figs and reduction

8 ripe black figs

1 lime

1 cinnamon stick

3 star anise

2 whole cloves

500ml orange juice

500ml red wine

125ml honey

25ml grenadine

Zest of 1 lemon

400g lemon

400g sugar

Port and brandy to taste

 

Method

For the cheesecake

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor
  2. Place in a small tray covered with aluminium foil and cook in the oven at 140°C for 25 minutes until set
  3. Remove from the oven and blend in a food processor, adding the gelatine leaf. Set to one side.

For the Italian meringue

  1. Boil the water and sugar until it reaches 118°
  2. Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until the meringue has developed.
  3. Slow the mixer down, leave on the lowest setting and then slowly add the hot sugar syrup.
  4. Keep whisking slowly until the meringue has cooled (this usually takes 10-15 minutes)
  5. Fold the meringue into the cheesecake mix, pour into a tray and place into the fridge to set.

For the oat shortbread

  1. Blend the oats, flour, sugar, soda and salt together
  2. Add butter in three stages until just combined, pulsing each time.
  3. Roll and bake at 175°C for 15 minutes. Once cooked, cut into desired shapes.

For the figs and reduction

  1. Bring all the ingredients to the boil, simmer for five minutes then take off the heat.
  2. Drop the figs in the liquid and leave for 5 minutes. Take out and pass and reduce the liquid.
  3. Arrange the elements on a plate. Garnish with (roast walnuts, celery cut into small batons, celery leaves, apple cut into matchstick size strips, grapes halved and lightly poached figs.)

Please share your creation with us on social media. Best of luck and enjoy!

Love from Hart’s xx