Blackberry, Yka Leaves, Fivola Blossom and White Chocolate Cheesecake, (Amaretti biscuit base)

Ingredients - Makes 15 x 35mm sphere mould cavities

Ingredients for the amaretti biscuit base

• 20g crushed amaretti biscuit
• 10g butter
• 40g white chocolate
• Extra amaretti biscuit crumb for dipping of base

Ingredients for the blackberry swirl/ripple

• 50g blackberry puree
• ½g bronze leaf gelatine – soaked in cold water
• 10g sugar
• 1 pkt Yka leaves – dried and ground

Ingredients for the cheesecake

• 50g cream cheese (full fat)
• 50g whipping cream
• Seeds from 1 Koppert Cress vanilla pod
• 25g caster sugar
• 10g whole egg – red lion marked
• 25g blackberry puree – warmed to 60C
• 17g white chocolate - melted
• 3g bronze leaf gelatine - soaked in cold water
• Drops of citric acid solution to taste

Ingredients for the blackberry glaze

• 30g isomalt
• 78g blackberry purée
• 10g glucose
• 5g bronze gelatine sheets - soaked in cold water
• Few drops citric/tartaric acid solution
• 1 pkt Yka leaves - dried and ground
• Fresh Yka leaves for decoration (or shards of dried Yka leaves)
• Fivola blossom flowers for decoration

Method

Method for the amaretti biscuit base

• Melt the white chocolate and the butter, mix in the amaretti biscuit crumb.
• Place mix between 2 sheets of parchment and roll to 4-5mm thick. Chill and cut in to
• 2.25cm discs.

Method for the blackberry swirl/ripple

• Heat puree with the sugar, stir in the soaked gelatine and dried ground Yka leaves.
• Put aside until required for the cheesecakes.

Method for the cheesecake

• Lightly whip the cream with the vanilla and lightly beat in to the cream cheese.
• Whisk the egg and sugar until ribbon stage (pâte á bombe).
• Heat the puree and add the soaked gelatine, make sure the gelatine melts completely.
• Whisk the gelatine and blackberry mix in to the pâte á bombe, then whisk in the melted chocolate.
• Fold all the components together and add a few drops of citric acid drops as required.
• Swirl in the blackberry ripple.
• Pipe into moulds, place an amaretto base into each one to come flush to the top, and freeze.

Method for the blackberry glaze

• Warm the blackberry puree with the glucose.
• Warm the isomalt in a pan until it melts, bubbles and is syrupy, then deglaze with the blackberry puree. Once bubbling recedes, stir in the soaked gelatine to melt. Don’t use a hand blender, this will make it opaque.
• Stir in the Yka leaves powder and set aside until required.
• Warm glaze to 30C and glaze frozen cheesecakes using the dipping method (place a ncocktail stick in each cheesecake vertically, lift each one and dip in the glaze, lift upwards letting excess drip off, drag the base of the cheesecake across a tray to remove any other drips of glaze).
• Dip each cheesecake base in to the ground amaretti biscuit and place on a tray and into fridge to defrost.
• Decorate as desired with the Yka leaves and Fivola Blossom.

Chef: Shona Sutherland