This week’s recipe of Tonka Cheesecake with Caramelised Pear & Hazelnut is by Glenn Roach, Regional Executive Chef of the Surf & Turf restaurants in Macdonald Rusacks Hotel, St Andrews & Macdonald Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh. The Surf & Turf concept will also be launching soon in the Macdonald Marine Hotel in North Berwick.

Ingredients:

  • 125g digestive biscuits
  • 90g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
  • 25g roasted, chopped hazelnuts
  • 280g cream cheese
  • 250ml double cream
  • 65g icing sugar
  • 1 tonka bean
  • 1 tbsp golden syrup
  • 200ml double cream
  • 1 heaped tablespoon icing sugar

Method:

  1. Place digestive biscuits in the blender and blitz until crumb texture then set aside
  2. Place biscuit crumbs, chopped hazelnuts and butter in a large bowl, use your hands to completely combine
  3. Then add the double cream to a large bowl and whisk until lightly whipped
  4. Add the cream cheese and grate in a tonka bean before whisking again to combine all the ingredients
  5. Then add the 275ml double cream, icing sugar and golden syrup to a large bowl and whisk until lightly whipped
  6. Use a piping bag to transfer the cheesecake mix to silicon moulds, spread out evenly then top with digestive base and set in fridge for at least 3 hours

Poached Pears

Ingredients

  • 750g castor sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 lemons, zest
  • 1 vanilla pod, split
  • 5 cloves
  • 1 star anise
  • 4 ripe pears

Method:

  1. In a pan big enough to hold the pears snugly, tip in all the ingredients except the pears
  2. Half fill the pan with water and bring to the boil
  3. Simmer for 10 mins to infuse
  4. Drop in pears, cover and gently poach for about 30 mins until soft
  5. Turn off the heat and set aside
  6. The pears can be poached up to 2 days ahead and kept in the poaching syrup in the fridge

 

Assembly:

  1. To assemble remove cheesecake from moulds and place in centre of plate
  2. Caramelise the half-poached pear with blow torch and place beside cheesecake
  3. Finish with crushed hazelnuts