Recipe

Apricot, whisky and honey 'cheesecake' recipe

Apricot, whisky and honey cheesecake
All the components of a classic cheesecake, without the need for a tin Credit: Nassima Rothacker

I tend to shy away from deconstructed desserts. Being a classically trained pastry chef, I like structure and foundation. This, however, is simply a blob of a cream cheese mixture topped with some toasted oats and poached apricots. How can that be anything other than desirable? 


Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 25 minutes

SERVES

Four

INGREDIENTS

For the apricots

  • 6-8 small apricots, halved and stoned
  • 300ml water
  • 150g honey (chestnut honey is perfect)
  • 75ml single-malt whisky
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 1 star anise


For the cheesecake

  • 125ml double cream
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 150g full-fat Greek yogurt
  • 280g full-fat cream cheese 
 

For the base

  • 75g jumbo porridge oats
  • 25g butter
  • 40g dark brown muscovado sugar

METHOD

  1. Start with the apricots. Place them in a medium saucepan along with the water, honey, whisky, cloves, cardamom pods and star anise. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes.
  2.  Meanwhile, put the cream into a mixing bowl with the vanilla and honey and whisk to very soft peaks. Throw in the yogurt and cream cheese and whisk until smooth.
  3.  Put a large deep-sided frying or sauté pan over a high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oats. Toast, tossing occasionally, for a minute.
  4. Add the butter and sugar and fry, stirring, until the oats are caramelised – a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  5.  To serve, scoop generous mounds of the cream cheese mixture into four bowls. Add the poached apricot halves and sprinkle over the oats. Drizzle over a little of the warm poaching syrup and serve.

A Flash in the Pan by John Whaite is published by Kyle Books (£20). Order your copy for £13.99 from books.telegraph.co.uk

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