Ingredients
| KAWAKAWA CRUMB BASE | |
| 50g butter at room temperature plus 5g extra, melted | |
| 50g caster sugar | |
| 50g brown sugar | |
| 50g ground almonds | |
| 50g flour (gluten-free flour works here, too) | |
| ½ teaspoon dried, ground kawakawa leaves | |
| CHEESECAKE FILLING | |
| 500g cream cheese | |
| 2 teaspoons vanilla (I use Heilala Vanilla Paste) | |
| ½ cup sour cream | |
| ¾ cup sugar | |
| 1½ tablespoons flour | |
| 3 eggs plus 3 yolks | |
| PLUM GLAZE | |
| 5 plums, stone removed, sliced | |
| ½ cup caster sugar | |
| 2 leaves gelatine, softened in iced water |
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Instructions
| 1. | KAWAKAWA CRUMB BASE |
| 2. | Cream together the 50g butter and caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved. |
| 3. | Fold the brown sugar, ground almonds, flour and kawakawa leaves into the creamed butter and sugar. |
| 4. | Place onto a tray lined with baking paper spreading it out evenly. Bake at 170°C for 20 minutes then cool. |
| 5. | Put into a blender and blend until it looks like breadcrumbs. |
| 6. | Add the melted butter to 200g of the crumb mix (the remaining crumb mix can be stored in an airtight container – it’s delightful sprinkled over roasted plums for breakfast with yoghurt). |
| 7. | Press flat into the base of a 20cm springform cake tin lined with baking paper. |
| 8. | Bake at 95°C for 5 minutes. Cool. |
| 9. | CHEESECAKE FILLING |
| 10. | Use a mixer or beater to beat the cream cheese on medium high until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula to ensure there are no lumps. |
| 11. | Add the vanilla, sour cream and sugar and beat until just combined. |
| 12. | Add the flour and beat until just combined. |
| 13. | Add the eggs slowly. Don’t over beat, as you don’t want to aerate the batter. |
| 14. | Pour the batter over the kawakawa crumb base. Bake at 150°C for 40 minutes. |
| 15. | The top should be a very light golden brown, not cracked and near perfectly flat. It should jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan. |
| 16. | Cool in the oven with the oven off and the door ajar for 20 minutes. |
| 17. | Take out of the oven and cool on the bench for 1 hour. |
| 18. | PLUM GLAZE |
| 19. | Put the plums in a pot with the sugar and cook on a low heat until the plums have collapsed. Blend until smooth. |
| 20. | Heat the plum purée to 35°C, about the temperature of a warm bath. |
| 21. | Squeeze out the gelatine leaves and whisk them into the warm plum mixture. |
| 22. | Pour over the cheesecake and place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight to set. |
Recipes and food styling Helen Turnbull / Photography Anna Briggs