Pistachio Cheesecake Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus overnight cooling time
Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- 180g/6ozs Biscoff cookies
- 55g/2ozs melted butter (if you use Graham crackers, use 80g butter)
- 40g/1.4ozs caster sugar
Filling
- 3x250g/8.8oz (total 750g/1.6lbs) blocks cream cheese (full fat)
- 350g/12.3ozs sour cream (full fat)
- 40ml/1.4flozs pure or thickened cream
- 1 cup/220g/7.7ozs caster or superfine sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature, beaten
Topping
- 200g/7ozs pistachio paste
- 40g/1.4ozs pistachios, roughly chopped
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 140C/284F fan forced. Line the base and sides of a 20cm/8inch springform tin. Have a deep baking tray ready that will fit the round tin in to make a water bath (it should have at least 2 inch high sides).
Step 2 - Process cookies until very fine in texture (Thermomix directions: 15 seconds, speed #8). Melt the butter in the microwave on 50% power (Thermomix directions: reserve the processed cookies in a bowl and add the butter into your TM bowl and set to 3 min/60 degrees/speed #2). Mix the cookies, butter and sugar together and press into the base and part of the sides of the cheesecake. It won't go all the way up the sides, just halfway up. Use a flat bottomed glass to help press it into the tin. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool.
Step 3 - Wrap tin in 3 layers of foil so the water won't seep into the crack of the springform tin. Put a full kettle onto boil.
Step 4 - Place cream cheese in the microwave and heat on 50% power in 1 minute bursts until it is very soft and a butter knife passes through easily (it will be warm). Place the cream cheese, sour cream, cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in a food processor and process until very smooth and there are no lumps. (Thermomix directions: using a clean bowl add the cream cheese, sour cream, cream, sugar, vanilla and salt and set to 40 seconds, speed 4, scrape down sides and then set to 20 seconds, speed 4).
Step 5 - Add in the beaten eggs and mix these in by hand until completely combined and there are no yellow streaks from the egg. Gently pour this mixture into the springform tin. Carefully pour the hot kettle water around the sides. Bake for 1.5 hours turning halfway. Cool the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar for a few hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Step 6 - Heat the pistachio paste in a microwave proof bowl for 20-30 seconds on 50% power. Spread over the top of the cheesecake making a circular pattern with your palette knife. Then sprinkle chopped pistachios around the edge (I had a bit of buttered kataifi so I added that too).
I brought this to a Mothers Day gathering with the Elliotts. We usually have a picnic but it was raining on and off here on Mother's Day so Araluen hosted everyone at her house. She is starting a new childcare business from her home and the whole house had to be redone for the new business.
She also has a new bunny called Pepper that has to be kept separate from the bunny upstairs called Jessica because they don't get along. She has a menagerie of animals and she used to look after people's dogs as well. It was only when her fiancé Ben told her that he couldn't deal with any more animals that she had to stop dog sitting.
We didn't realise she had a new bunny so we brought Teddy and Milo along and now we had to keep them separate but also separate from the guinea pigs in her garden. Honestly I think the Elliotts like having a small element of chaos and Araluen took on the challenge of keeping everyone happy and separated with aplomb. Perhaps it's her experience as an early childhood teacher that gives her those skills. I just know that I wouldn't be able to do it and that my job is just bringing desserts!
So tell me Dear Reader, are you good with dealing with chaos or do you need order?