Mojito Cheesecake

Another cheesecake recipe?  Why not!   This was an experiment (famous last words that my friends have come to know), but one which worked well at Stour Festival, although, if I'm honest, it would have worked better if the rum glaze had either been a bit colder when it went on, or the cheesecake wasn't right up to the edges - in fact, you can see a hole in the picture below.  The cheesecake is still in its travelling case, so not fully decorated. 

If you are in doubt about this, a tip I can offer is that you make the gel glaze in a separate tin - ie, a cake tin with a solid base the same size - and only put it onto the cheesecake when it has set. 

Mojito Cheesecake

Mojito Cheesecake

8oz/225g digestive biscuits, crushed to crumbs

4oz/110g butter

8oz/225g cream cheese or soft cheese (full fat)

8oz/225g Mascarpone cheese (or just cream cheese)

3oz/75g icing sugar

10floz/280ml double cream

Juice and zest of 2 limes

Handful of very finely chopped mint

White Rum

2 sheets gelatine softened in water

5 floz/140ml White Rum and lime juice  

Mint leaves and another lime

Line a 9” spring clip tin with parchment.   Melt the butter in a bowl, add the biscuit crumbs, mix well and spread them over the base of the tin.  Chill in the fridge until set (30 minutes to 1hr).     

In a Magimix, beat together the cream cheese, Mascarpone, icing sugar, cream, lime and a small amount of rum (a quick glug).  Beat until the cream thickens up, then add the lime zest and mint (I always find it sticks to the whisk otherwise!).  Pour the mixture into the tin and level it, making sure that it goes right to the edges.   Allow to chill for at least an hour.  Now take the gelatine and soften it in water.   Warm the rum to approx. blood heat before melting the gelatine into it – if it doesn’t dissolve, heat the white rum a bit further).  Wait until the gelatine has started to cool and set, then pour it over the cheesecake.

Chill for at least 3 hours until set, preferably 4.   

To remove from the tin, run a knife or thin spatula around the edge so that, when you remove the clip, the jelly layer does not break (nor do you lose a lot of the cheesecake on the sides of the tin, though that’s a cook’s bonus!).  Decorate with mint leaves and lime slices.