Peach cheesecake with chocolate shortcrust pastry

Delicious peach cheesecake on a chocolate shortcrust pastry base. It is a little like the classic Polish sernik królewski, but only because of the chocolate shortcrust pastry; it is also simpler to make. An excellent recipe for using canned or syrup-preserved fruit. The shortcrust pastry, both as the base and as the crumble topping, is simply unbeatable!

Ingredients for the chocolate shortcrust pastry:

• 125 g butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 120 g icing sugar
• 2 egg yolks, from large eggs
• 300 g plain flour
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2–3 tbsp soured cream, chilled

Sift the plain flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Add the butter and quickly chop together with a knife until the mixture resembles crumble. Add the remaining ingredients and quickly knead the dough (you can also mix it in a food processor).

Shape the dough into a ball and divide it into 2 portions. Wrap each portion in cling film, flatten slightly and place in the freezer for approximately 2 hours.

Ingredients for the cheesecake mixture:

• 750 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, ground three times
• 160 g soured cream
• 3 large eggs
• 1 packet of vanilla-flavoured custard powder (40 g)
• 200 g caster sugar
• 16 g vanillin sugar

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place all the ingredients for the cheesecake mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix just until combined (do not mix for too long, so as not to unnecessarily aerate the cheesecake mixture).

Additionally:

• 1 large tin of peaches in syrup, cut into thicker slices

Method:

Grease a 22 x 30/32 cm baking tin with butter and line with baking paper.

Grate one portion of the frozen dough over the tin using a box grater, spreading it evenly. Pre-bake at 175°C for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the cheesecake mixture over the pre-baked pastry. Smooth the surface. Arrange the peach slices over the cheesecake mixture. Then grate the second portion of dough over the top.

Bake the peach cheesecake with chocolate shortcrust pastry for approximately 1 hour at 170°C. Leave to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar, then remove and place on the worktop.

The peach cheesecake with chocolate shortcrust pastry can be stored at room temperature.

Enjoy!