GLUTEN-FREE VALENTINE’S DAY LIME AND ROSE CHEESECAKE
Cheesecakes can come in many guises. With or without a fancy crust, or a fruity topping, or swirled through with a contrasting flavour. It can be in the style of Greece, where it is believed to have originated, or America, Sweden, Japan, Italy, Holland, Spain, Germany, Poland … It can be made with cream cheese, cottage cheese or ricotta and can be delicate and light or more substantial.
Our Valentine’s Day Lime and Rose Cheesecake is on the more delicate end of the scale and uses lime juice and zest to cut the richness a little. And to fit the occasion we’ve made it in a heart shape, decorated with dried rose buds.
It can be served simply with a dusting of icing sugar and whipped cream, but for those hoping for some slightly more decadent action ….. serve it with our Lime Crème Anglaise.
Hope you love it.
Rosie
VALENTINE’S DAY LIME AND ROSE CHEESECAKE
Serves 2 … with leftovers for 2 … or 3
Double the recipe, bake in a 22cm tin and you’ll serve 10
25 gm butter, melted and cooled
25 gm Revenge Gluten-free Almond Plain Flour, plus extra for dusting, see below
15 gm cornflour
125 gm cream cheese, at room temperature, chopped
50 ml buttermilk
½ lime, zest only
1.5 tablespoons lime juice
3 large eggs, separated
85 gm caster sugar
1 pinch cream of tartar
Boiling water
Icing sugar for dusting
Whipped cream to serve, optional
Lime Crème Anglaise to serve, optional, see below
Fresh or dried rose petals/buds, optional, for garnish
Preheat oven to 125°C fan-forced. Grease a 1.2 litre capacity, heart shaped cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Dust the tin with a tablespoon of gluten-free flour. Tip out any flour that does not adhere to the side of the tin.
In a food processor, process the melted butter, flours, cream cheese, buttermilk, lime zest, lime juice, egg yolks and 45gm of the caster sugar until well combined.
Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar in an electric mixer for 2 minutes then gradually add the remaining 40gm sugar. Whisk until soft peaks form. Fold in a large spoonful of the cream cheese mix and then fold in the remaining mix.
Pour into prepared cake tin and place the tin in a baking pan. Place in the oven and pour enough boiling water into the baking pan to come half way up the side of the tin.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the top has browned lightly and a skewer comes out clean. Turn off the oven, open the door a bit and leave the pan in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the baking pan and allow to cool before turning out onto a platter. Serve with whipped cream or crème Anglaise and garnish with rose petals or buds if using.
The cheesecake can be made up to four days ahead and refrigerated. Take out of the fridge an hour before serving.
Lime Crème Anglaise
185 ml milk
½ vanilla pod, split, seeds removed and reserved
2 egg yolks
60 gm caster sugar
½ teaspoon cornflour
2 teaspoons lime juice
Heat milk in medium saucepan to simmering point, add split vanilla pod and set aside to infuse for 10 minutes. Discard the pod.
Beat egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl until creamy and pale. Add cornflour and reserved vanilla seeds and stir to combine.
Take a cup of the warm milk and stir into the egg mix. Stir the egg mix back into the milk and place the saucepan over medium – low heat. Continue to stir until the crème Anglaise thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Be careful not to let it catch on the bottom of the pan. Take off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Strain into a jug.
Serve the crème Anglaise warm or refrigerate and serve cold.