Apricot Cointreau Cheesecake.

 

So this week was supposed to be the Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, however I got a little trigger happy and hit publish instead of save and you got that last weekend as a sort of bonus.  Sorry.

 

Instead I bring you my all time favourite dessert that my Mum makes, well my second all time favourite,  Rice pudding is my first love.  In our house we all have our favourite desserts that we ask Mum to make,  Dad is Crème Caramel, Owen is Trifle, Cameron (my brothers best friend) is Tiramisu and mine is this Apricot Cheesecake. 

 

If you are making this for a dinner best make it the day before or very early the day of, as it does need to chill in the fridge before serving.

 

200g Dried Apricots

1 tblspn soft brown sugar

2 tblspn Cointreau

250g Nice biscuits or other sweet plain biscuits

125g butter, melted

1/2 tspn each of ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg

280g cream cheese, room temp

1/4 cup castor sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup cream

 

Topping

300g sour cream

1 tbspn soft brown sugar

1 tbspn Cointreau

 

 

 

 

In a sauce pan place the apricots, brown sugar, Cointreau and 2 tablespoons of water, stir gently over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Cover and simmer for a further 5 to 10 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.  Do not allow to burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. 

 

 

In your food processor blitz the apricots to a smooth paste and set aside.  Pre heat your oven to 180C for standard oven and 170C for fan forced oven.

 

 

Process your biscuits to a fine crumb, in a bowl add ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and melted butter and mix until the crumbs are coated in the butter.

 

Press the crumbs into your 20cm spring form cake tin.  I lined the base of my tin with baking paper for easier removal.  Press half the crumbs into the base first, then slowly build up the sides of the tin, I used a glass with a flat bottom and side to press the crumbs in firmly.  Refrigerate while you mix the filling.

In your mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth,  add the apricot mixture and beat together well,  add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the cream.

 

Pour apricot mixture into your crust,  It is easiest to then place your tin on a baking tray for easy movement in and out of the oven.  Bake for 35 minutes

 

For the topping, mix together the sour cream, sugar and Cointreau.  Carefully remove the cheesecake from the oven, spread the topping over the top carefully.

 

 

This is a fresh nutmeg.  I keep this in a plastic container in my cupboard and grate it when I need it.  The smell of fresh nutmeg is soooooooo nice throughout the house.

 

Grate your nutmeg, or sprinkle if your using ground nutmeg, over the topping and return the cheesecake to the oven to bake for a final 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Note: If you are using a larger cake tin 23 to 25cm then you need to increase some of the ingredients,  375g cream cheese, 1/3 cup castor sugar, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup cream.