With the nip in the air it feels OK to start using warming winter spices, and this baked cheesecake full of gingerbread spices is wonderful. Served with rum-soaked prunes for added oomph. It would also be delicious with caramel sauce and caramelized apples. Do make sure your spices are reasonably fresh, as they will lose some of their flavour over time.

Ingredients

Cheescake Base

210gr Ginger biscuits

15gr sugar

70gr Melted butter

Method:

• Line the base of a 9 inch spring form tin with a disk of parchment paper and lightly butter the sides.
• Pre heat the oven to 170 C.
• Pop the biscuits in the bowl of a food processor or break the biscuits using a rolling pin in a plastic bag.
• Once you have fine crumb add the sugar and melted butter.
• Mix well then press the mix evenly over the prepared base, pressing down with the back of a spoon.
• Bake in preheated oven for eight to 10 minutes until it colours slightly.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully before topping with cheesecake mix.
• Turn the oven down to 160 C.

Cheesecake mix

600gr cream cheese

140gr sour cream

135gr sugar

80gr cream

15gr treacle

15gr maple syrup

10gr corn flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. grated nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)

¼ tsp. ground clove

¼ tsp. fine sea salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large free-range eggs

2 free range yolks

Method:

• Put the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat with a spade until smooth with no lumps.
• Next add the spices, corn flour, treacle, maple syrup and vanilla.
• Once that is well mixed, crack the eggs into a jug with the yolks and break with a fork until smooth.
• Slowly add the egg and cream to the cheese mix - don’t over beat.
• Scrape into the prepared tin, level carefully.
• Bake in the centre of the oven until the edges are set but the centre is still wobbly, 35 minutes to at most 40 minutes.
• Be brave now and turn off the oven leaving the cheesecake inside for 30 minute it will continue to cook and set.
• Remove from the oven and run a small knife around the edge of the tin releasing the cheesecake from the sides of the tin.
• Allow to cool for a few hours before refrigerating to cool completely.
• Do remove from the fridge up to 30 minutes before serving, if you have a blow torch dust with icing sugar and burn with the torch to caramel.
• Serve with rum soaked prunes.

Prunes with Rum

• Place a handful of prunes in a small pot - just cover the base in a single layer.
• Barely cover with water, add the, rum, orange zest and juice.
• Bring to the boil then simmer gently for two to three minutes, cover with a lid and allow to cool.
• The prunes will swell up and absorb the flavour of the rum, and go beautifully with the creamy cheesecake.