
Reduced Sugar California Prune Cheesecake
Makes: 8Prep Time: 40 minutesCook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 400g plain digestive biscuits, finely crushed
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 100g unsalted butter, melted
- 150g California Prunes
- 175g California Prune purée*
- 3tbsp Tia Maria
- 1tsp lemon juice
- 800g cream cheese
- 150g caster sugar
- 4tbsp double cream
- 2tsp vanilla essence
- 5 eggs, lightly beaten
- 25g plain chocolate, grated
- 2tbsp strong coffee (pre-mixed with water)
DIRECTIONS
- Place the biscuits in a large bowl, add the cinnamon and butter and stir until well mixed.
- Press the crumb base well into a base-lined 23 cm (9 inch) round, loose-bottomed cake tin, covering the base and sides, then bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 5 minutes.
- Place the California Prunes, Tia Maria and lemon juice in a small bowl and leave to macerate.
- Remove the crumb base from the oven and cool in the tin on a wire rack.
- Reduce oven temperature to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
- Place the cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat together until smooth.
- Add the cream and vanilla and continue to beat until smooth.
- Continue beating while adding the eggs, a little at a time, until all are incorporated.
- Place the chocolate and made up coffee in a saucepan and melt together over a low heat and cool slightly.
- Measure 750 ml (1¼ pt) of the cheesecake mixture into a jug and reserve.
- Beat the remaining batter with the chocolate coffee mixture and California Prune purée until well mixed and pour into the crumb base. Cook in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until cheesecake is nearly set.
- Remove the California Prunes from marinade and arrange over the cooked layer.
- Pour over the reserved batter and return to oven, cooking for a further 35 minutes until set.
- Cool in tin on a wire rack until completely cooled then remove cheesecake from the tin and refrigerate until required.
- Before serving, decorate with the grated chocolate and raspberries.
* To make California Prune purée, blend 100g California Prunes with 6 tbsp boiling water in a liquidiser until puréed to your desired consistency.