Tonka Cheesecake with Caramelised Pear & Hazelnut
This week’s recipe 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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