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Cheese and Oatcakes

Neil Forbes discovers an oatcake for a cheese, Flora Shedden makes a baked cheesecake, and Simon Preston explores the unsung delights of cottage cheese.

Tomato and basil, sprouts and bacon, avocado and toast, cheese and oatcakes some of the greatest food combinations to pass our lips. A good cheese on the perfect oatcake is one of life's luxuries. In today's Kitchen Cafe Neil Forbes explores the right oatcake for the right cheese with Chris Young. Flora Shedden and Kirsten Gilmour combine mascarpone cheese with some biscuits to make a sweet and delicious baked cheesecake with topped macadamia nuts. While Simon Preston explores the much unsung delight of cottage cheese with cheesemaker David Mitchell and Edinburgh's Michelin starred chef Paul Kitching to find out not just what cottage cheese is but how we can use it on more than just a baked potato...in some leek and potato soup or with a wee drop of tomato sauce perhaps?

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 30 Apr 2017 07:30

Ginger and Macadamia nut cheesecake

Ginger and Macadamia nut cheesecake

Serves 10-12

For the base

200g gingernut biscuits

50g macadamia nuts

100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing


For the filling

500g mascarpone cheese

350g cream cheese

2 tablespoons corn flour

1 teaspoon ground ginger

100g icing sugar

2 eggs

200ml double cream

50ml ginger syrup (from jar of stem ginger)

Ìý

For the topping

200ml double cream

2 tablespoons icing sugar

200g macadamia nuts, toasted

4 pieces of stem gingerÌý

Method

Preheat the oven to 160℃ (325℉), gas mark 3. Grease and line a 20cm (8inch) round loose bottomed tin.

First make the base. In a food processor, blitz the biscuits and macadamia nuts until fine. Add the melted butter and blitz again until all the crumbs are coated in butter. Tip the base mixture into your prepared tin and distribute it evenly across the base. Press it down firmly into the base using the back of a spoon. Refrigerate the base while you make the filling.

To make the filling, beat the mascarpone, cream cheese, cornflour, ginger and icing sugar together in a large bowl. Once the mixture is very smooth, add the eggs and mix again. Stir in the cream and ginger syrup. Pour the mixture on top of the chilled base.

Bake for 50-60 minutes – you are looking for aÌý light golden colour and the filling to be just about set, with a small wobble in the middle. Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon so that it remains ajar and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cook completely. By doing this, it is less likely to crack or split in the middle. Once cool, chill in the fridge. Remove from the tin when chilled and ready to serve.

Just before serving, softly whip the cream and sugar together then spread the mixture over the top of the cheesecake. Decorate with the toasted nuts and ginger.

Broadcasts

  • Thu 27 Apr 2017 13:30
  • Sun 30 Apr 2017 07:30

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