Chestnut cheesecake

A creamy, velvety chestnut cheesecake made with sweetened chestnut purée and served with maple syrup. It sits on a biscuit base, which is also a great way to use up leftover festive spiced biscuits. A wonderful combination of flavours and a delicate chestnut taste that is becoming increasingly popular.

Ingredients for the base:

• 160 g dark chocolate digestive biscuits (or other biscuits such as wholemeal, oat biscuits)
• 30 g butter, melted

Place the biscuits and melted butter into a food processor and blend until the biscuits are finely crushed and the mixture resembles wet sand. If you do not have a food processor, place the biscuits into a sturdy plastic bag (such as a zip-lock bag) and crush them thoroughly using a rolling pin or meat mallet. Mix with the melted butter.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking parchment, covering only the bottom. Press the biscuit mixture evenly over the base of the tin.

Bake at 175°C for approximately 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly while preparing the cheesecake filling.

Wrap the outside of the tin twice with aluminium foil, as the cheesecake will be baked in a water bath.**

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 500 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, triple-ground
• 125 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 egg yolks, from large eggs
• 175 ml soured cream
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 350 g sweetened chestnut purée*

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place all the filling ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix only until combined, or whisk together by hand. Do not mix for too long, as incorporating too much air into the cheesecake mixture will cause it to rise significantly during baking and then sink afterwards. We want to avoid this; the finished cheesecake should have a perfectly level surface.

Pour the cheesecake filling onto the pre-baked biscuit base and bake in a water bath** at 160°C for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. The cheesecake is ready when the surface is fully set and baked across the entire top. Once baked, remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place it on a worktop to cool completely. Refrigerate overnight, as this allows the cheesecake to develop its ideal texture.

Serve the chilled cheesecake drizzled with maple syrup.

* You can use ready-made sweetened chestnut purée available in shops (sold in tins or jars), or make your own using edible chestnuts.

** To bake a cheesecake in a water bath, place the cheesecake tin inside a larger roasting tin or ovenproof dish. Pour boiling water into the outer tin until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. The steam created during baking provides a very humid environment, ensuring the cheesecake bakes evenly throughout, including the centre. This helps prevent cracking and results in a perfectly smooth, creamy texture.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Feast by Nigella Lawson.