cheesecake

We usually have a short break in February and it has become a tradition that I do some baking with Alyx. This years choice was a Baked Biscoff Cheesecake. I have to ask the question as to why I did not know that Biscoff spread was a thing, it is something not to be missed if you have a sweet tooth. After posting the photo of the finished product on my own social media page, we had a few requests to share the recipe. We did use a recipe from delish.com with a couple of tweaks. We like a thick crust and we also came across a problem but we rectified it in this method.

For the Crust

125g melted butter
20 Biscoff biscuits
12 Digestive biscuits
      pinch of salt

For the Cheesecake

900g   cream cheese, softened
250g   sugar
1/2tsp salt 
4 large eggs
240ml double cream
60g sour cream
1tbsp vanilla extract
4tbsp Biscoff spread, heaped
5 Biscoff biscuits, crushed for garnish
4tbsp Biscoff spread, melted, for garnish

Directions

Make Crust

Depending on how thick a base/crust you like, feel free to increase or decrease biscuit quantities. As long as there is enough to cover the base of the pan it is ok. We like a thick crust and have accounted for this.

1. Set a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 180°C (160ºC fan). Butter a 23-cm springform pan and wrap bottom and sides of pan in a double layer of aluminium foil. 
2. Place the Biscoff and Digestive biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or something similar. We liked it a bit lumpy rather than smooth, you can use a food processor or blender if you want finer crumbs
3. Transfer the biscuit to a bowl, add melted butter a bit at a time. Using fork or fingers, mix until crumbs are evenly moist. You want it to be so the crumbs are sticking together but not too moist or too dry.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan. Place pan on a baking tray and bake crust for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 165°C (145ºC).

Make Cheesecake

1. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese until completely smooth. Add sugar and salt and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down bowl as necessary. I have taken out the recommended beating times here as they just did not work. We found the mixture became as runny if not runnier than single cream but we continued beating until it became more like lightly whipped runny cream.
2. Add double cream, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
3. We slightly melted the Biscoff spread in the microwave, you don’t want to melt too much as we wanted the cheesecake to have bits clearly visible and running through the mixture. If you melt too much it will just blend with the mixture. Gently fold in Biscoff spread. Pour cheesecake batter into cooled crust.
4. Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Place cheesecake in a deep roasting pan and set on middle rack of oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake is just starting to brown and only the centre is slightly jiggly, 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn off oven, prop open door with a wooden spoon, and let cheesecake slowly cool in water bath, 1 hour. 
5. Remove roasting pan from oven, then carefully lift springform pan from water and remove foil. Set cheesecake on a rack and let come to room temperature. Once completely cool, loosely cover with cling film and refrigerate until firm, 4 hours or up to overnight. 
6. When ready to serve, carefully unmould from springform pan. Sprinkle cheesecake top with crushed biscuits and drizzle with melted Biscoff spread.
7. Enjoy 🙂