Great British Chefs launched a new website two weeks ago. The site has expanded and grown to accommodate additional recipes, new films and new chefs. Some of the new features on the site include the ability of having an account, write feedback, add and share your tweaks with other account holders. 

The new Feastive app has just been launched too with recipes ranging from simple through to more elaborate dishes. It also features the lost art of canapé and petit four. All available a few clicks away from your mobile and IPad devices once you download the app from itunes.  It will certainly add a deliciously distinctive tone to the festive period. It would make a good stocking filler for a foodie too. Back in July I took on three challenges of recipe testing for the Great British Chef team.  The challenges were to prove that the Michelin recipes, on their original app, work on domestic kitchens. Amazingly they worked and you can read all about it here.  I was given some white chocolate a while ago and I must admit I am not a fan of it. I have changed my mind after eating this cheesecake!  Over the weekend I was looking for recipes to use the said white chocolate and I found, in the feature section, a recipe for passion fruit and white chocolate cheesecake at the new Great British Chef’s website. Off to the kitchen to try this recipe. I am not known for my presentation. I tried my best….

Passion fruit and white chocolate cheesecake with fresh orange sorbet and orange crisp by Matthew Tomkinson.

Great British Chefs new website

Cheesecake base

• 200g of hob nob biscuits
• 100g of butter

Filling

• 50g of white chocolate chips
• 0.5 bronze gelatine leaf
• 170ml of double cream
• 90g of full fat soft cheese

Cheesecake topping

• 100ml of passion fruit juice
• 25g of caster sugar
• 1 bronze gelatine leaf

Orange sorbet

• 170ml of orange juice

Passion fruit sauce

• 50ml of passion fruit juice
• 25g of caster sugar

Orange crisp

• 1 orange

Stock syrup

• water
• caster sugar

To plate

• 1 orange

cheesecake base – scrumptious!

cut the oranges thinly – mine was a bit too thick. It makes a difference on presentation

• Making stock syrup

  To make stock syrup, simply heat equal amounts of water and sugar in a pan until dissolved
  2.

  Next make the orange crisp. Very gently poach the orange slices in 250ml of the stock syrup until translucent. Drain and dry in an airing cupboard for two days until crisp
  3.

  To make the cheesecake base, combine the biscuit crumbs and butter and push into the base of your chosen tin. Set in the fridge
  4.

  To make the filling, warm 60ml of the double cream and the white chocolate together until melted, then add the drained gelatine
  5.

  Mix the soft cheese with the remaining cream until smooth and then add to the chocolate mixture. Pour over the set base and return to the fridge until firm
  6.

  To prepare the sorbet, mix the orange juice and 50ml of the stock syrup together then churn in an ice cream machine until frozen
  7.

  For the cheesecake topping, bring the passion fruit juice and sugar to the boil and add the drained gelatine. Pass through a fine sieve and cool. Whilst just warm pour over the cheesecake and return to the fridge
  8.

  To make the passion fruit sauce, bring both to the boil and turn down to a simmer, allow to reduce to a syrupy consistency
  9.

  To serve, cut the cheesecake into 4 portions and place on plates. Garnish with some chopped fresh orange pieces, a drizzle of the passion fruit sauce, a scoop of sorbet and an orange crisp 

  Tweaks: Passion Fruit juice – I had fresh passion fruit so I use them instead of shop bought juice. Orange crisps – I slowly dried them in low temperature oven for about 5 hours as I didn’t have two days to wait for them to ‘crisp up’ in the airing cupboard – worked brilliantly. 

  Timings: It’s easy, it requires sometime to prep,  it’s got a few stage. It can be prepared the day before.  
  Total cost:  around £10 a bargain and look the result!   It actually serves 6 people.

  hmmm…It needs a bit of work on the presentation… passion fruit sauce could have reduced more, still the taste is all there.  The sharpness of the passion fruit goes very well with the creamy soft cheese and the sweetness of the white chocolate. The sorbet is effortless. The crispy caramelized orange has a bitter sweet crunchiness to it.  The whole dish is full of different textures. Delectable!

  Individual portion

  Glorious cheese cake!