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