The joy of Twixmas

The days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve lend themselves to casual get-togethers centred around sharing plates – plus a showstopping treat or two

recipes CASSIE BEST & HELENA BUSIAKIEWICZ

Dubai chocolate cheesecake

Put a Middle Eastern spin on the classic baked cheesecake by drawing on the Dubai chocolate trend. With a buttery biscuit and kataifi pastry base, creamy pistachio-infused filling and luscious dark chocolate ganache topping, this showstopper is perfect for a festive gathering.

Dubai chocolate cheesecake

photographs TOM REGESTER

SERVES 12-15 PREP 35 mins plus at least 3 hrs cooling and overnight chilling

COOK 55 mins EASY V

100g butter, melted, plus extra for the tin

200g digestive biscuits

50g shelled pistachios, plus extra to decorate

50g toasted kataifi pastry, plus extra to decorate

800g full-fat soft cheese

200g pistachio crème or butter

200g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp plain flour

4 eggs

200ml soured cream

For the topping

150ml double cream

100g dark chocolate, finely chopped

1 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Butter a 23cm springform tin and line the side with baking parchment. Blitz the biscuits and pistachios to fine crumbs in a food processor. Tip the mixture into a bowl, then add the pastry and the melted butter, and mix well. Press the mixture into the base of the tin and bake for 10 mins. Leave to cool while you make the filling.

2 Rinse out the food processor, then tip in the soft cheese, pistachio crème, sugar, vanilla, flour, eggs and soured cream. Blitz until the mixture is smooth and a consistency similar to double cream. Put the cheesecake base on a baking tray to catch any unwanted drips escaping the tin, and carefully pour the cheesecake mixture over the base.