Ingredients
| 200g chocolate biscuits (I used Chocolate Thins) | |
| 80g plain biscuits | |
| 85g butter, melted | |
| 5 leaves Equagold gold-grade gelatine | |
| 2 x 227g tins crushed pineapple, drained (reserve ¼ cup juice) | |
| 625g cream cheese, softened | |
| 125g sour cream | |
| ¾ cup caster sugar | |
| FOR THE TOPPING | |
| ½ pineapple | |
| 140g dark chocolate | |
| â…“ cup cream | |
| 2 tablespoons butter |
Pineapple lumps are right up there with jandals, gumboots and L&P when it comes to Kiwi classics – and they’re the inspiration for this chocolate-covered, no-bake pineapple cheesecake.
Instructions
| 1. | Line the base and sides of a 21cm springform cake pan with baking paper. |
| 2. | Combine the biscuits and butter in a food processor and whiz to form crumbs then press into the base of the prepared tin. |
| 3. | Use the back of a tablespoon to smooth out the base on the bottom, and take it a little way up the sides. |
| 4. | Chill the base for 30 minutes. |
| 5. | Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. |
| 6. | Heat the reserved pineapple juice in a pan or the microwave until simmering, then squeeze the excess water from the gelatine leaves and add them to the hot juice, stirring until completely dissolved. Set aside. |
| 7. | Whiz the cream cheese, sour cream and sugar in a food processor until smooth. |
| 8. | Add the crushed pineapple and whiz briefly. Add the dissolved gelatine in juice and whiz again to combine. |
| 9. | Pour the filling over the biscuit base and chill for 6 hours or overnight. |
| 10. | FOR THE TOPPING |
| 11. | Preheat the oven to 110ËšC and line a tray with baking paper. Slice 6 thin (5mm) rounds from the pineapple and place on the baking paper. |
| 12. | Bake for 40 minutes then turn very gently using a fish slice, and bake for a further 40 minutes. |
| 13. | Turn the oven off and cool in the oven for 30 minutes then poke each pineapple gently in muffin tray holes and put back in the cooling oven until cold. |
| 14. | Use within 2 days. (In humid weather I find the flowers flatten very quickly, but in dry cooler weather they will hold a slightly cupped shape). |
| 15. | For the chocolate topping, heat the chocolate, cream and butter together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk until smooth then cool in the fridge for 20 minutes. |
| 16. | Remove the cheesecake from the tin, drizzle with chocolate and top with pineapple flowers to serve. |
Recipes & food styling Sarah Tuck / Photography & styling Greta van de Star
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