EAT+DRINK

WHITE CHOCOLATE GINGER WINE CHEESE CAKE WITH MACADAMIA & ROASTED RHUBARB IN GINGER WINE

Note : this recipe can be Gluten Free if you uses GF biscuits for the base

Prep time: 30 mins / leave to set for 3 hours in fridge

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the biscuit base:

  • 200g ginger biscuits or gluten free ginger biscuits
  • 100g  melted butter

For the White Chocolate Ginger Wine Cheesecake:

  • 750g cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp icing or caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean
  • zest of one lemon
  • 4 tablespoons ginger wine
  • 300g white chocolate melted
  • 200ml double cream
  • 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts ( you can use any nuts you like , we used candied  honey coated maccadamias )

Roasted Rhubarb In Ginger Wine:

  • 2 cups cleaned rhubarb cut on the diagonal, into 2cm diamond shaped slices
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1/3 cup Stone’s Original Ginger Wine
White chocolate ginger wine cheese cake with macadamia

Method

For the Rhubarb:

  1. Pre heat oven 200oc
  2. Place rhubarb slices onto a clean baking tray, scatter over the sugar, add Stone’s Ginger Wine and toss through to combine, let it macerate for 10 – 15 mins this will also the allow the juices & colour to develop.
  3. Place in a hot oven and roast for 10 – 15 mins or until the rhubarb is just cooked, tender if pierced with a fork to touch. Let the rhubarb, cool down in its juices. If you have excess juice you can transfer it to a small sauce pan to reduce further so its glossy and sticky the cover the rhubarb again . Either way by resting and chilling in its natural juices it will soak up all the flavours.

For the biscuit base:

  1. Use a springform tin (22 – 23cm or 8in) and line it with baking paper .
  2. Process biscuits in a food processor, add butter until well combined .
  3. Tip this mixture into your springform tin and press it down into a neat, even flat circle. Top with chopped nuts, place into the fridge and chill.

For the White Chocolate Cheesecake:

  1. Using a mixer beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and ginger wine into a large bowl and beat together until smooth.
  2. Gently melt your white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pan of water, or in the microwave . Careful not to over heat or it will go grainy !
  3. Add the cooled melted white chocolate to the cheesecake mixture, beating until just combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides and fold through all of the cheese cake mix.
  4. Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks and then fold it gently into the cheese mixture until combined.
  5. Remove your chilled pan from the fridge and top your biscuit base with macadamia nuts and then with the cheesecake mixture, smooth it out as neatly as you can.
  6. Pop the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 3 hours to chill &  firm up.

To Garnish:

  1. Arrange rhubarb in a circle around edges of cheese cake, we added some green pistachio for colour, also some rose petals & buds . You can use any edible flowers or additional seasonal fruits.