WITH FRUIT AND NUTS
SERVED WITH CREME FRAICHE
Serves 6-8
This is quite simply a
chocolate cheesecake to die for. If you
like dark chocolate, if you like dark chocolate with fruit and nuts, and if you
like luscious, velvet-textured mascarpone, need I say more...
For the base
4oz (110g) Rustic biscuits
1 x 50gpacket chopped toasted hazelnuts
1oz (25g) butter, melted
For the cheesecake
1 x 100g pack deluxe
continental cooking chocolate
1 x 250g tub mascarpone
1 x 100g packet whole hazelnuts
1 x 2OOg tub fromage frais (8%fat)
2 eggs, size 1
1 ½ oz (40g) caster sugar
2oz (50g) raisins
For the chocolate curls
1 x 150gpack deluxe dark
chocolate (red and gold pack)
1 x teaspoon cocoa powder
To serve
1 x 500ml tub crème
fraiche
You will need a 7in x 3in (]8 cm x 7. 5cm) deep (preferably springform) cake tin; if shallower than this, line the sides with baking parchment.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 2, 300'F, 150'C
First of all place the whole
hazelnuts in the oven and toast to a golden brown; use a timer and have a look
after 10 minutes, giving them 5 extra minutes if they need it. Then remove them from the hot tray to
cool. Meanwhile, make the base of the
cheesecake by crushing the biscuits with a rolling pin - not too finely,
though, as it's nice to have a fairly uneven texture. Scoop all the crushed biscuit crumbs into a
bowl, then add the chopped hazelnuts and melted butter and mix everything very
thoroughly before packing into the base of the cake tin, pressing it very firmly
all over.
Now pop the tin into the
fridge while you make the filling. To do
this you first need to place 2in (5cm) of water in a saucepan and then put the
saucepan on to heat. Meanwhile, break
the continental chocolate into small squares and place these in a bowl. As soon as the water is boiling remove the
pan from the heat and place the bowl on top until everything melts. Don't be tempted to put the bowl on top of
the boiling saucepan; because of the high cocoa solid content this chocolate
mustn't get overheated.
Now spoon the mascarpone and
fromage frais into a large bowl and whisk them both together, preferably with a
hand whisk, until they are smooth. Then add the eggs and sugar and give it
another good whisking before adding the melted chocolate. Using a rubber
spatula, so that you get all the chocolate from the basin, lightly fold in the
chocolate, then add the raisins and hazelnuts. Now remove the tin from the
fridge and pour the mixture into it, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon.
Now place it in the oven and bake for 1 ¼ hours. After that, turn the oven off,
but leave the cheesecake in until completely cold – it sets as it cools and
prevents cracking.
For the chocolate curls
Melt the chocolate as above, then pour on
to a flat, smooth surface (a plate will do). It should form a circle about 6”
(15cm) diameter and ¼” (5mm) thick. Place in the fridge to chill for 45 minutes
to one hour. The chocolate should be set hard enough so that it does not leave
an indentation if you press the surface.
Now take it from the fridge. Use a cheese
slicer to make curls, or use a knife. Hold the blade in both hands, pull it
along the chocolate, towards you, and it should curl up. If you end up with a
pile of chocolate savings, it will look just as nice! Place them in a rigid
plastic container and store in the fridge until needed.
To serve, sprinkle the surface with
chocolate curls, dust with a sprinkle of cocoa powder and serve in slices with
crème fraiche handed round separately.
