Apricot or Yellow Mangosteen Cheesecake

My sister Justy makes this luscious cheesecake for guests at Bend of the River where yellow mangosteens grow in abundance. She uses the sour pulp in various ways, including as a topping on this cheesecake.  Dried apricots are a good, more readily available substitute.  You can also add optional flavourings such as orange flower water and vanilla to the cheese mix.

Inroduction

About this Recipe

By: Sheridan Rogers

My sister Justy makes this luscious cheesecake for guests at Bend of the River where yellow mangosteens grow in abundance. She uses the sour pulp in various ways, including as a topping on this cheesecake.  Dried apricots are a good, more readily available substitute.  You can also add optional flavourings such as orange flower water and vanilla to the cheese mix.

Ingredients

    Crumb base
    • granita biscuits 1 -1.5 packets, broken into pieces
    • unsalted butter 125g
    Filling
    • free range or organic eggs 3
    • caster sugar 1 cup
    • cream cheese 250g
    • ricotta 250g, drained if wet
    • thickened cream 1 cup
    • cornflour 2 teaspoons
    Topping
    • yellow mangosteen or apricot pulp 1.5 cups (see below)
    • gelatine 1 dessertspoon, dissolved in a little water
    • passionfruit pulp optional

    For the base: place a quarter of the granita biscuits in a food processor or blender and process to crumbs. Remove to a mixing bowl and repeat with remaining biscuits. Stir through the melted butter.  Press this mixture onto the base and around the sides of a greased 23cm springform cake tin. Place in fridge and chill 20 – 30 minutes. For the filling: whisk together the eggs and sugar until thick. Add the cream cheese and ricotta and beat until smooth.  Add the thickened cream, cornflour and optional flavourings, if using, and combine well. Preheat oven  to 180C (or 160C fan-forced) and bake for about 1 hour (it might need a little longer). Remove from oven and let cool thoroughly before spooning over the topping. For the topping: poach the dried apricots  for 10 minutes with 1/4 cup sugar. If using yellow mangosteen pulp, simmer it with 1/2 cup caster sugar until dissolved. Add the dissolved gelatine and stir through thoroughly. Let cool then blend until smooth.  Pour this over the cooled baked cheesecake.  You can also spoon over some passionfruit pulp for a more tangy flavour.