Spiced Fig And Orange Cheesecake

 

Rich and warmly spiced, this baked cheesecake with fig and orange makes an excellent dessert or mid-afternoon treat.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (80 g) brazil nuts
• 125 g plain sweet biscuits
• 80 g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (250 ml) orange juice
• 1 1/4 cup (250 g) finely chopped dried figs
• 1 cinnamon stick
• pinch ground clove
• 250 g cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange rind
• 3/4 cup (165 g) caster sugar
• 1 cup (250 g) mascarpone
• 2 eggs, separated

STEPS

01.

Grease 22cm springform tin. Process nuts and biscuits until fine. Add butter; process until combined. Press mixture over base of tin. Place tin on oven tray; refrigerate 30 mins.

02.

Preheat oven to 160 C/140 C fan-forced.

03.

Combine juice, figs, cinnamon and cloves in small saucepan; simmer, uncovered, 10 mins or until most of the juice has been absorbed. Discard cinnamon stick. Spread fig mixture over crumb base in tin.

04.

Make filling by beating cream cheese, rind and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Add mascarpone and yolks; beat only until combined. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form; fold into cheese mixture.

05.

Pour filling over fig mixture; bake about 1¼ hours. Cool in oven with door ajar.

06.

Refrigerate cheesecake 3 hours or overnight. Serve dusted with sifted icing sugar, if desired.

Photo: bauersyndication.com.au