Salted Caramel Basque Cheesecake

• servings: Serves: 9

Ingredients

⅓ cup (40 g) cornstarch, sifted

3 tbsp salted caramel sauce (see page 290),

1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream, room temp

½ cup (115 g) sour cream, room temp

1½ tsp vanilla bean paste

5 medium eggs

scant 1½ cups (285 g) sugar, preferably plus extra for drizzling

3 cups (700 g) full-fat cream cheese, room temp

To Finish

handful of fresh raspberries

handful of pistachios, roughly chopped

Directions

not use the fan setting here; we want a slow, steady bake.

Preheat the

Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand

mixer and use the paddle attachment to beat until smooth. Once smooth, add the sugar and

mix again until fully incorporated. Add the eggs,

one by one, mixing well between each addition, then add the vanilla bean paste, sour cream, heavy cream and salted caramel. Mix well.

Sift in one-third of the

combined, then repeat with the remaining two- thirds. Going slow

ensure the cornstarch doesn't become lumpy.

Pour the cream mix into the prepared pan, scraping down the sides and making sure there are no clumps of cornstarch or cream cheese. If there are, pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove.

just help you remove it from the oven when the Place the pan onto a baking sheet (this will pan is hot) and put it on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes and then turn down the temperature to 350°F (180°C) for another 5 minutes until the top is darkened. It may look burned, slightly cracked around the sides, and

still wobbly in the middle, but fear not, this is

exactly what we are after.

oven to 400°F (200°C). Do

and steady just helps to

cornstarch, mix until

Leave to cool completely at room temperature set perfectly.

Before serving, add a few spoons of salted caramel sauce to the top, and use the back of a spoon to coat and swirl it around. Pile on fresh raspberries and a generous scattering of chopped pistachios to finish.

Use a hot knife (run under hot water or hold over a steaming kettle and wipe) for that *perfect* velvety, caramel-drowning slice.

putting into the fridge overnight to