Japanese Soft Cotton and Blueberry Rare Cheese Cheesecake

Japanese Soft Cotton Blueberry Rare Cheese Cheesecake

For soft cotton cheesecake

• 50g/2 ozs butter

• 250g/9 ozs cream cheese

• 100 ml/3 fl ozs milk

• 60g/2 ozs plain flour

• 20g/1 oz cornflour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 150g/5 ozs fine granulated sugar

• 6 eggs separated

• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

For Rare Cheese cheesecake

• 100gm fresh or frozen blueberries

• 125gm cream cheese

• 100gm fresh cream

• 3 tbsp fresh milk

• 30gm sugar

• ¼ tbsp lemon juice

• 2½ tsp gelatin

• ¼ cup hot water

To decorate

• a handful of fresh blueberries (about 1 oz/30g)

• Whipped cream in a piping bag with a star tip

Instructions for soft cotton cheesecake:

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Step 1 - Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture over an ice bath. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, 6 egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.

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Step 2 - Whisk 6 egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

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Step 3 - Place a kettlefull of water to boil. Add one third of the egg white mixture to the cheese mixture to loosen. Then add the rest in third batches and mix well and ensure that the egg whites are thoroughly combined gently. Pour into a 8-inch round cake pan (lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper). Wrap two layers of foil around the tin to prevent water seeping in. Place in a large baking dish.

Step 4 - Carefully pour the boiling water around the cheesecake to make a water bath. Bake cheesecake in the water bath for 1 hours 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). Chill thoroughly.

Makes 1 (8-inch) cheesecake, 12 servings.

Instructions for Blueberry Rare Cheese cheesecake

Step 5 - Line the same 8 inch springform baking tin with parchment. In a small bowl, mix together gelatin with hot water and stir briskly with a fork until all of the gelatine is dissolved.

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Step 6 - Blend all remaining ingredients in a food processor. Add gelatine mixture and pulse until mixed. Scrape into prepared tin and cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until set.

To decorate:

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Step 7 - Slice completely cold soft cotton cheesecake in half horizontally. Try and do a better job than I did, it won't be hard! Carefully lift the top half off touching it on the base (if you touch the browned top, the top will come off onto your hand - trust me on that). Remove parchment from sides of rare cheesecake and place face down onto the bottom half of the soft cotton cheesecake. Peel off the parchment from the blueberry cheese layer. Then lift the top layer of soft cotton cheesecake and place on top. Using  a large palette knife scrape gently along the edges to even the sides of the blueberry layer.

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Step 8 - Pipe with whipped cream and place fresh blueberries in the centre.

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