Oat, Blueberry and Caramelised White Chocolate Cheesecake

A few years ago I spent a whole summer baking nothing but cheesecake. I've tried a few different recipes, but the one that gave the most consistent results was Rick Stein's baked lemon cheesecake recipe from his book French Odyssey. I'm not sure why a cheesecake recipe was included in a french cookbook, as it's about as french as bread and butter pudding, but who am I to question the great Rick Stein? He will always be the best TV chef in my opinion.

Although this cheesecake is based on that recipe, I have changed pretty much everything about it in trying to find the perfect use for caramelised white chocolate. Caramelised white chocolate is something heavenly that's created by slowly baking white chocolate to caramelise the sugars within it. the resulting golden chocolate, which tastes something like those Caramac bars I remember eating as a child but haven't seen in years, has endless possibilities for use in baking. I won't claim this is the definitively perfect use for it, but it's pretty damn close. I love the combination of all the different layers: a base of salted butter and oats against a layer of toffee-sweet white chocolate, sharp cheesecake, and juicy blueberry compote.



Things I have learnt from making this cheesecake...

• I forgot to think about how this would be served (chilled) and how that would affect the consistency of the chocolate. You need to add cream to the white chocolate once caramelised to make a ganache, this will ensure that it doesn't set completely solid and make it difficult to slice.
• Don't whisk the cheesecake ingredients with electric beaters, as this incorporates air into the mixture, which will cause it to rise up when baked and then sink down in the middle once it cools. It will do this a little even when you beat it with a spoon but it helps to try and avoid incorporating too much air.
• Leaving the cheesecake to cool in the oven helps prevent the top from cracking, but is by no means necessary if you are short on time and want it to cool more quickly, I think the cracks in the top of the cheesecake give it a nicely homemade look.

Oat, Blueberry and Caramelised White Chocolate Cheesecake:
makes one 23cm cheesecake

120g rolled oats
30g brown sugar
400g white chocolate
100ml double cream
100g rough oatcakes
100g butter, melted
500g full fat cream cheese
120g caster sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons cornflour
300ml crème fraîche
200g frozen blueberries

• Preheat the oven to 150°C, line a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment
• Mix together the brown sugar and oats on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 30 minutes or so whilst you make the caramelised white chocolate
• Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in an even layer in a large oven proof dish
• Place the chocolate in the oven for 10 minutes before taking out a stirring thoroughly, it will look like a grainy mess at this point
• Bake for a further 20-30 minutes, stirring at 10 minute intervals, until smooth, glossy and golden brown
• Leave to cool for around 15 minutes before stirring in the cream
• Smash up the oatcakes with a rolling pin and mix with the melted butter and the toasted oats
• Tip the oats into the lined cake tin and press into a level base with the back of a spoon
• Pour over the caramelised white chocolate ganache and chill in the fridge for at least 1/2 an hour
• Make the cheesecake by beating together the cream cheese and sugar, then adding in the eggs one at a time, stirring between additions
• Add the cornflour and crème fraîche and beat until combined
• Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 50mins-1hour or until set with just a slight wobble in the middle
• Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool
• Heat the blueberries in a pan for a few minutes. They should be defrosted and releasing dark purple juices, but not cooked down so that they loose their shape
• Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate, pour over the blueberry compote and then chill until ready to serve