For the base:
150g spekulatius cookies
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
75g Luxlait Rose butter, melted
For the filling:
150g white chocolate
200ml Luxlait Egg Nog
250g Luxlait full-fat quark 40% (fromage frais)
300g cream cheese
80g sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
For the egg nog whipped cream:
100ml Luxlait cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
100ml Luxlait egg nog
8g Sahnesteif (cream stabilizer)
Sprinkles, to decorate
Makes 1 cheesecake of 23cm, for 12 people – Prep: 1h – Oven: 1h30min – Fridge: 12h
Preheat the oven to 125°C fan.
Start by making the crust: Put the cookies into a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs. Add the cinnamon and melted butter to the food processor, whizz briefly to combine.
Seal the baking tin so the cheesecake doesn’t leak too much: Place a rectangular piece of baking paper on the plate of a 23cm springform. Place the ring onto the plate with the baking paper, and close. Fold up the baking paper sticking out from the ring, so it reaches up the sides of the tin. Wrap the bottom and sides of the tin tightly with a big piece of foil.
Distribute the spekulatius crumbs on the base and press to form an even base. Refrigerate while preparing the topping.
For the topping: Finely chop the chocolate. Heat the egg nog in a small saucepan over a low heat until it starts to simmer, stirring continuously. Stir through the chocolate until melted. Set aside.
Put the quark, cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl and mix until evenly combined. Add one egg at a time until fully incorporated. Add the egg nog with the melted chocolate and mix to get a smooth mixture.
Take the springform out of the fridge and place on a baking tray, as it might still leak a bit. Pour the topping over the base. Bake the cheesecake for 1h 30mins in the preheated oven.
After 1h30mins, take the cake out of the oven (it will still look very wobbly) and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Once cool, refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 12 hours before taking it out of the tin and serving.
Just before serving, make the egg nog whipped cream: put the cream and the icing sugar in a bowl and whip until it starts to get stiff. Add the egg nog and cream stabilizer and whip for a minute until it becomes a smooth whipped cream that holds. Put into a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped nozzle.
Take the cheesecake out of the springform by cutting along the sides of the tin, then put it on a serving plate. Pipe the whipped cream onto the cheesecake, decorate with festive sprinkles and serve.
TIP: If you want a classic NY Cheesecake, simply swap the egg nog for cream, and replace the spekulatius with butter cookies.