Raspberry Whiskey Oat Cheesecake Food

RASPBERRY, WHISKEY & OAT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To make the crust, crush the oatcakes with a rolling pin or in a food processor until sandy and no chunks remain. Stir in the rolled oats and sugar. Melt the butter over low heat in a small pan, then add it to the crushed oatcakes and stir to combine. Add a bit more butter if the mixture feels dry; it needs to be moist enough to hold together in small clumps. Spoon it into the pan and press firmly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until just set (it will firm as it cools). Set aside while you prepare the filling. Turn the oven down to 250°F.
• To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add the sour cream and stir to combine, then add the honey, sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir in the whiskey to taste. (You can add a little extra, or none at all, if you prefer.) Lightly whisk the eggs in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the cream cheese mixture while stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming. The mixture should be thick and smooth.
• Pour the filling over the pre-baked crust. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until the filling is set and has just the slightest wobble in the center. Because it's baked at such a low temperature, it should be barely colored, just deepening to a light gold. Let cool to room temperature in the pan, then unmold and chill.
• Shortly before serving, arrange the raspberries on top of the cheesecake, fat ends down and tapered bottoms upward. You can cover with the raspberries earlier, but there's a risk that, if they're particularly ripe, their juices will seep into the creamy cheesecake.

RASPBERRY AND WHISKY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the tablespoon of whisky, crush the digestive biscuits (Graham crackers) and add to the pan.
• Mix well and then press into a greased, loose-bottomed 8-inch cake tin and chill for about half an hour in the refrigerator.
• Beat the cream cheese and sugar together.
• Whip the double cream and whisky until softly stiff and fold into the cream mixture.
• Spread over the biscuit base and chill.
• Soak the raspberries in the honey and whisky for about 30 minutes.
• Strain the raspberries.
• You will need about 4 fluid ounces of juice and you may have to top it up with whisky if necessary.
• Take two ounces of juice and the arrowroot and mix to form a paste.
• Heat the rest of the juice with the sugar until almost boiling and then stir in the arrowroot paste and continue stirring over a low heat until the glaze is thick.
• Then stir the raspberries into the glaze and leave until cool.
• Spread the raspberries and glaze over the base.
• Whip the cream mixed with a tablespoon of whisky until softly stiff and then decorate the cheesecake.
• Finally, sprinkle a tablespoon of malt whisky over the top just before serving.

RASPBERRY FOOL WITH WHISKY & TOASTED OATS

Steps:

• Whisk 300ml double cream with 40g demerara sugar until soft peaks form, then fold in 25ml whisky.
• Layer the whisky cream in glasses with 40g toasted oats and 200g raspberries, halved. Top with a good grating of white chocolate.

RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, making sure that the foil is tucked into all the corners and that there is at least 1 inch over-hanging the top of the pan on all sides.
• MAKE THE CRUST: Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, mix on low speed to combine. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the ingredients just begin to come together in clumps. Sprinkle this mixture across the bottom of the baking pan and press it with your fingertips into an even layer. Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes and then bake the crust until it is light golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and let the crust cool until just warm to the touch.
• MAKE THE FILLING: Combine the cream cheese and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the mixture until very smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again until smooth.
• Pour the filling on top of the warm crust. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Scatter the berries over the top of the filling. Bake at 325 degrees until the filling is just set in the center, 50 to 55 minutes. Let the pan cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate until the bars are completely chilled, at least 3 hours.
• Grasping the overhanging foil on either side of the pan, lift the foil from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut 16 squares.
• Raspberry Cheesecake Bars will keep in the refrigerator In an airtight container for up to 2 days. Makes 16 bars.
• Mom's Big Book of Baking.