Kat's White Chocolate and Ginger Cheesecake

Many moons ago, when me and my partner actually went out for meals occasionally (now a film and a kebab constitutes as romantic, apparently) we shared a dessert in Wagamama’s in Manchester; a white chocolate and ginger cheesecake. (So yes, you got me, it's actually Wagamama's cheesecake; but they didn't share their recipe, so this is mine!)

We both adored it! And one of my few homely skills (I don’t clean, my plants die (except orchids!) and heaven help you if you need something sewing up) is cooking. I love eating, which helps, and my mum is just amazing at cooking and I’m not bad either! So, I decided to attempt said cheesecake, and their chilli toffee sauce.

Now, guests tell us they will only come round if they can have this cheesecake, and my 83 year old great aunt can not only polish huge portions of it off, but takes extra home too! Normally, she eats like a very full sparrow.

So I thought I would share this lovely recipe, because it really is lovely it it’s the easiest thing to make! You can whip it up in twenty minutes as a last minute “bloody hell the guests are here soon and I’ve not even brushed my hair” dessert.

Do note thought that I have made all this up and I am in fact guestimating every time I make it. Which means, it does often come out differently. I will approximate the ingredients, but you really need to experiment and find your own footing :]

Enjoy!



Cheesecake

These are the ingredients you will need.

White Chocolate
Mascarpone
Crème Fraîche
Ginger Pieces in Syrup
Choc-Chip Cookies
Butter

OK so I forgot to put the ginger in the “ingredients” picture, and when I noticed I’d used them, so too bloody late!

But this really is all you need.

1. You need to break a whole pack of choc-chip cookies up. A food blender is ideal for this, but if you’re like me, and don’t have one, then you can just keep hitting them with things. (This does get messy!) You want them fairly small, but the odd half centimetre piece is nice for a bit of crunch!

2. Melt around a dessertspoon (to a dessertspoon and a half) full (and by full I mean heaped!) of butter and mix this in with the cookie crumb. Then press this down in to your chosen cake tin; I highly recommend one with a push-up bottom!

3. *Optional* Next you need to take out some ginger pieces out of the syrup and thinly slice them. To be honest, I normally miss this step out, but it’s for my mum and she loves ginger! Lay them out randomly on the cookie base

4. Now you should place the base in the fridge to harden up a bit. Not essential, I just do!

5. Next you need a whole pack of mascarpone (Mine is 250g. I have no idea if they come in different sized packs!), 2 dessertspoons (heaped) of crème fraîche and some of the ginger syrup. The ginger syrup and white chocolate portions are to taste, really, but as a guide I normally use around 3 dessertspoons of syrup and 250g of good quality white chocolate. While whisking the cheese, cream and syrup, melt the white chocolate.

6. Once it’s all whisked up (stiff peaks is quite “moussey” and soft peaks is more creamy) you should pour the white chocolate in while whisking on a low speed.

7. Now all you need to do, is pour it (or smoosh it, if it was stiff peaks) over your base and bob’s your uncle; you have a cheesecake! No baking or fussing required :]

Now, just pop that in the fridge to set!


Chilli Toffee Sauce


These are the ingredients you will need.

Butter
Dark Sugar
Golden Syrup
Cream
Chili Powder


1. Firstly, you need to place the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. I use around the same quantity of butter and sugar, and around half of that for the syrup.

2. You need to bring this to the boil and then take it off the heat.

3. While stirring, pour in around 2 dessertspoons of double cream and some chilli powder. Now, I am not a major fan of spice (much to my parents disgust!) and I use around 3 teaspoons (level) of chilli power and this is a good kick! But, when you first put it in and taste it, remember it will get a bit (not much, but a bit) hotter as it rests!

Please do try this dessert and enjoy! And forever call it “Kat’s Cheesecake” :] x