THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION
THE ULTIMATE NO-COOK DESSERT Marbled chocolate cheesecake
Marbled chocolate cheesecake
SERVES 12-14. HANDS-ON TIME 35 MIN, PLUS AT LEAST 4 HOURS CHILLING
MAKE AHEAD
The cheesecake keeps well but it’s best made no more than 24 hours before you plan to serve it. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature.
FOR THE BASE
• 300g bourbon biscuits
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 50g shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
• 130g unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
• 3 gelatine leaves (we used Costa Fine Leaf, from Waitrose and Ocado)
• 300g white chocolate, chopped into chunks
• 300ml double cream
• 560g full-fat cream cheese
• 150g mascarpone
FOR THE TOPPING
• 100g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
YOU’LL ALSO NEED…
• 23cm diameter loose-bottomed cake tin, lightly oiled
1 For the base, whizz the biscuits, cocoa and pistachios to a sandy texture in a food processor. With the motor running, pour in the melted butter in a steady stream until well combined. Press the crumbs over the base and up the sides of the prepared cake tin to form a case. Using a knife, level off the sides of the case to give clean edges, then transfer to the fridge to chill.
2 Meanwhile, for the filling, soak the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water until floppy. Put the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl with 3 tbsp of the cream and set it over, but not touching, a pan of gently steaming (not simmering) water. Leave the chocolate to melt without disturbing it, then stir until smooth. Squeeze the water from the gelatine, stir the gelatine into the chocolate, then set aside to cool a little.
3 Meanwhile, set another 3 tbsp of the cream aside and pour the rest into a large mixing bowl with the cream cheese and mascarpone. Beat together with an electric mixer until very stiff and smooth – it should lose its shine and become dull and matte. Briefly beat in the white chocolate mixture. Set aside 75g of the mixture, spoon the rest into the chilled crumb case, then smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Chill for 30 minutes.
4 Mix the reserved cream with the reserved filling mixture and set aside. Melt the dark chocolate in the same way as the white, but without cream, then remove from the heat. Spread the reserved filling mixture over the cheesecake, then drizzle over the slightly cooled dark chocolate and swirl the two together with a knife. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight (see Make Ahead). Slice with a hot knife and serve.
PER SERVING (FOR 14) 592kcals, 47.6g fat (29.1g saturated), 7.7g protein, 32.3g carbs (24.7g sugars), 0.5g salt, 1.3g fibre
EVEN BETTER THAN YOUR GRANDMA’S Caramelised pineapple and coconut trifle with rum syllabub
Caramelised pineapple and coconut trifle with rum syllabub
SERVES 12-14. HANDS-ON TIME 1 HOUR, OVEN TIME 8-10 MIN, PLUS AT LEAST 1 HOUR CHILLING
MAKE AHEAD
Chill the trifle before garnishing, up to 12 hours in advance, and keep covered. If you’d rather make the rum syllabub topping at the last minute to get perfect peaks, chill the assembled trifle without the cream.
If you have both dark and coconut rum, a mixture works well here, but if you have just one or the other, that will be fine, too.
FOOD TEAM’S TIP
• 200g readymade madeira cake, cut into slices
• 200g caster sugar
• ½ pineapple, peeled and cut into small triangles
• 5 tbsp pineapple juice
• 125g pomegranate seeds
• Zest and juice 1 lime
• 50ml coconut or dark rum (see tip)
FOR THE COCONUT CUSTARD
• 400ml tin coconut milk
• 50g caster sugar