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:
- Place digestive biscuits in the blender and blitz until crumb texture then set aside
- Place biscuit crumbs, chopped hazelnuts and butter in a large bowl, use your hands to completely combine
- Then add the double cream to a large bowl and whisk until lightly whipped
- Add the cream cheese and grate in a tonka bean before whisking again to combine all the ingredients
- Then add the 275ml double cream, icing sugar and golden syrup to a large bowl and whisk until lightly whipped
- 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:
- In a pan big enough to hold the pears snugly, tip in all the ingredients except the pears
- Half fill the pan with water and bring to the boil
- Simmer for 10 mins to infuse
- Drop in pears, cover and gently poach for about 30 mins until soft
- Turn off the heat and set aside
- The pears can be poached up to 2 days ahead and kept in the poaching syrup in the fridge
Assembly:
- To assemble remove cheesecake from moulds and place in centre of plate
- Caramelise the half-poached pear with blow torch and place beside cheesecake
- Finish with crushed hazelnuts
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