#walnutbrittle

All you need:

For the base:

1/3 cup ground almonds

3/4 cup maida

1/4 cup caster sugar

80g chilled unsalted butter

For the filling:

300g cream cheese (Make your own)

500g ricotta (Make your own)

4 eggs (lightly beaten)

1+1/3 cup caster sugar

1 tbsp lemon rind

1/4 cup lemon juice

Few drops of vanilla essence

1+1/2 tbsp cornflour

1+1/2 tbsp water

4 tbsp milk

For the brittle:

100g broken walnuts

4 tbsp brown sugar

A pinch of salt

1 tbsp butter

Mould:

Use a 20cm cake tin, which preferably has a removable base and a clip to keep the two pieces of the tin tightly. As when we un-mould a cheesecake we need to take it out gently without disturbing or crashing the sides.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 150ºC.

Prepare your mould by placing a butter paper in the removable base, and place the upper part of the tin over the base and clip it tightly. The butter paper would be hanging outside the tin from the base which is the idea of setting it instead of cutting a circle and placing, as a circle could move while we place the base and spread on it.

For the base, grind together the almond flour, sugar and butter in a food processor or mix with forks. Avoid using warm hands as it could melt the butter which we don’t want. Don’t overwork the base as it can generate heat. Once done, place into the tin, and with the back of a tablespoon, press and spread evenly over the base making a smooth base. Place in the oven and blind bake for 15-20minutes till lightly golden brown. Once done, set it aside on a wire rack to cool. Grease the sides of the tin and keep ready for the filling to be poured into it.

For the filling, blend together ricotta, cream cheese, sugar, lemon rind, vanilla essence, and lemon juice. Add in eggs one by one while blending well, along-with the milk, and lastly add in the cornflour and water that have been mixed together prior to adding into this mix. Once well blended into a smooth mix, pour into the cooled down base.

Tap lightly to remove any air bubbles and place in the preheated oven for an hour. Once done, let it stay in the oven for another one hour or so till the oven cools down. Do not open the oven door throughout the whole process, as it could cause the cheesecake to sink a little. 

Take out the cheesecake and place on wire rack to cool to room temperature. Place it in the fridge for 2hours to let it set well before serving.

For the walnut brittle, just a few minutes before serving, add in butter to a pan and on medium heat add in the walnuts to toast a little. Add in sugar little by little 1 tbsp at a time and spread evenly over the walnuts. Constantly stirring, keep adding the remaining sugar till walnuts are well coated. Place on paper towel once done and let it cool for 3minutes. Serve over the cheesecake.

Tips:

It is very important to use chilled butter, so chop your butter and place it in the fridge until you are ready to make the base.

Every other ingredient should be at room temperature for smooth results.

Make sure that the base is at room temperature before pouring the filling, or it could make the base go soggy.

Do not be tempted to open the oven door until it is baked and well rested for the whole 2 hours in the oven. It could make the cheesecake cooking go haywire.

Be careful that you don’t serve hot walnut brittle on cheesecake as it could make the walnut brittle become chewy and not crispy caramelised.

Serve with fresh berries if you have them in season, to cut through the richness of the cheesecake.