blackberry & rye cheesecake
baked cheesecake with a rye biscuit base and blackberry jelly top
this little cheesecake is a labour of love, with a homemade rye biscuit base (like digestives but better!), baked cheesecake filling and a fresh blackberry jelly layer on top
you will need to start this recipe one to two days before serving
recommended timeline for afternoon to evening consumption:
two nights before: bake rye biscuits
day before: bake the biscuit base, mix and bake cheesecake filling and let cool
day of: mix blackberry jelly and let set completely
yields one four inch cheesecake, with extra biscuits
ingredients
rye biscuits
75g quick oats
50g rye flour
0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5g baking soda
1.5g salt
25g brown sugar
40g butter, cold
40g butter, melted and cooled
juice of half a lemon
biscuit base
80g rye biscuits (from above)
about 25g butter, melted
pinch salt
cheesecake filling
150g cream cheese, room temp
30g caster sugar
50g sour cream, room temp
1 tsp vanilla paste
zest of one lemon
juice of half a lemon
1 egg, room temp
pinch salt
blackberry jelly
125g (one punnet) fresh blackberries
10g caster sugar
juice of half a lemon
pinch salt
1 tsp gelatine powder
1 tbsp water
method
rye biscuits
preheat the oven to 170°C
sift together the oats (75g), rye flour (50g), cinnamon (0.25 tsp), baking soda (1.5g), salt (1.5g), and brown sugar (25g)
add in the cold, cubed butter (40g) and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles wet sand
stir together the melted butter (40g) and lemon juice (from half a lemon) and pour into the centre of the flour mixture
stir together to form a dough
roll the biscuit dough out between two sheets of baking paper to about 2mm thick
chill the dough for 5-10 minutes here if it’s being sticky and difficult!
cut into squares and arrange on lined baking trays
bake for 10 minutes then let cool completely on the trays
store any leftovers in an airtight container (or eat with a cup of tea as the cheesecake bakes)
biscuit base
preheat the oven to 170°C
line the base and sides of a four inch (10cm) springform tin with baking paper
make sure the paper comes high up the sides so you can fit as much cheesecake filling as possible!
wrap the bottom of the tin with layers of tinfoil as insurance against the waterbath
in a blender, food processer, or with a rolling bin, blitz 80g of the cooled rye biscuits
mix in about 25g of melted butter (you may need more or less to get the biscuit mixture to hold together)
pat the biscuit mixture firmly into the base of the tin
bake for 15 minutes then let cool while you prepare the cheesecake filling
cheesecake filling
preheat the oven to 130°C
boil the kettle for the water bath and place the prepared cheesecake tin in a baking dish
lightly beat the cream cheese (150g) to remove any lumps
sift over the sugar (30g) and beat to combine
add the sour cream (50g), vanilla (1 tsp), lemon zest (from one lemon), and a pinch of salt and beat until combined
pour in the lemon juice (from half a lemon) and the egg (1) and gently fold together
transfer the cheesecake filling to the prepared cake tin
pour the freshly boiled water into the baking dish until it is halfway up the sides of the cake tin
bake the cheesecake for 60 minutes or until it has only a slight jiggle
let cool completely in the water bath (for at least two hours) then transfer to the fridge to set further
blackberry jelly
cut the ends off of six of the best-looking blackberries (125g, one punnet) and set them aside
add the remaining blackberries, sugar (10g) and lemon juice (from half a lemon) to a small saucepan
cook over medium heat until the berries have softened
blitz with an immersion blender and strain and discard the blackberry seeds
in a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatine powder (1 tsp) over cold water (1 tbsp) and let hydrate for 5-10 minutes
microwave the gelatine mixture in 15-second intervals until the gelatine has totally dissolved
pour the gelatine into the strained blackberry juice and stir to combine
let cool if required to not melt the cheesecake! it should be cool to lukewarm
arrange the six reserved blackberry ends around the cooled cheesecake
pour the cooled blackberry jelly mixture on top of the cheesecake
transfer to the fridge to cool and set (at least two hours)
serve chilled
