White Chocolate Cheesecake

Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!!!
Wishing you all a very happy healthy and prosperous 2014. There is something about this year that feels special. I am excited to see what this new year is going to bring. I suspect alot of change, which can only be a good a thing.

I made this yummy cheesecake over the Festive season. It is made with half fat Creme Fraiche and Ricotta.

This serves approx 10 people

Crust
165g (5 1/2oz) digetive biscuits crushed
66g (2 1/2oz) butter, melted

Filing
6 leaves gelatine
500g (1Ib 2oz) half fat creme fraiche
100g (4oz) caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
100g (4oz) white chocolate, chopped
250g (9oz) ricotta cheese
chocolate curls or other sweets / edible glitter

1 x 18cm springform cake tin

- Mix together the biscuits and butter, then press into the base of the tin. Pop into the freezer while you
prepare the filing.
- Soak the gelatine in cold water until really soft approx 5 mins. Heat the cream fraiche and sugar really gently in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Keep stirring. Add the softened gelatine (squeeze out excess water) and vanilla and stir until the gelatine has dissolved. Leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Whizz up the ricotta in a food processor until smooth, then add the melted chocolate and the cream mixture.
- Pour over the crumb base and place in the fridge to set, preferably overnight.
- Carefully remove it from the tin, a hot cloth around the edge will help to loosen it. Place on stand and decorate as desired.

This will keep in the fridge for 24hrs. If it lasts that long ;)

Clementine Cake

I was browsing twitter and was inspired to make this recipe. Its just so easy and really yummy too. Gluten and fat free.... It could be served as a pudding with some creme fraiche or as a cake.

Clementine Cake

• 375 grams clementines (approx. 3 medium-sized ones)
• 6 large eggs
• 225 grams white sugar
• 250 grams ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

1. Put the clementines in a pan with some cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the pips. Dump the clementines - skins, pith, fruit and all - and give a quick blitz in a food processor (or by hand, of course). Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190ºC/375ºF. Butter and line a 21cm / 8 inch Springform tin.
2. You can then add all the other ingredients to the food processor and mix. Or, you can beat the eggs by hand adding the sugar, almonds and baking powder, mixing well, then finally adding the pulped oranges.
3. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for an hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover with foil or greaseproof after about 40 minutes to stop the top burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the tin. When the cake's cold, you can take it out of the tin. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it at any time.
4. I've also made this with an equal weight of oranges, and with lemons, in which case I increase the sugar to 250g / 2¼ cups and slightly anglicise it, too, by adding a glaze made of icing sugar mixed to a paste with lemon juice and a little water.
5. Additional information - for gluten free make sure that the baking powder is gluten free.