Join our community for tasty recipe ideas, handy hints, seasonal fun facts and more.
Put a Persian twist on your next cheesecake. This decadent dessert is infused with a refreshing hint of rosewater, has a deliciously nutty base, and is lavishly topped with roasted strawberries. Your guests will be begging for more.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Lightly grease and line the base and sides of a 23 cm springform cake tin with removable base with baking paper.
Place strawberries on a baking tray, add the sugar, rose water and vanilla and toss to coat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until sugar dissolves, strawberries begin to soften and a syrup forms. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Place the ground almonds, pistachios, cornflour, caster sugar and cardamom (if using) in a food processor and blitz to finely ground the pistachios. Add the melted butter and blitz to combine. Spread nut mixture into the base of the prepared tin, pressing and smoothing with the back of a spoon to make an even surface. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Prick the base with a fork and bake for 10 minutes, or until golden.
Decrease the oven temperature to 150 °C. Place the cream cheese, ricotta and sugar in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Blend cornflour, rosewater and vanilla together in a small bowl, add to the cream cheese mixture and pulse to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending between each addition, to combine. Pour filling into the prepared base. Tap the tin firmly on the kitchen bench to remove any air bubbles. Arrange half of the roasted strawberries over the top.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Leave cheesecake in the oven to cool with door ajar for 4 hours, or up to overnight. This helps to prevent cracking. Once cooled chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, before serving.
Serve cheesecake topped with remaining roasted strawberries and syrup. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and dried rose petals.
3 x 250 g punnets (750 g) Driscoll’s strawberries, hulled & large ones halved
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons rose water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
dried rose petals
Base
1½ cups (150 g) ground almonds
½ cup (75 g) pistachios, plus extra for decorating
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
70 g unsalted butter, melted
Filling
500 g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
500 g fresh ricotta *bought from the deli
1 cup (220 g) caster sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons rosewater
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 eggs