Honey yoghurt and cinnamon cheesecake

Honey yoghurt and cinnamon cheesecake

The inspiration of my recipe today is driven by the best ingredients that Greece has to offer. My pantry is always full of honey and my fridge is always overstocked with yoghurt! I am so fortunate that I have a loving and caring family like mine that always sends me goodies from the organic land of my village to the busy city of London. I can honestly say I do not remember the last time I had to buy honey! I first made this recipe when I was still a hungry for knowledge and quite rebellious commis chef. It belongs to my previous executive head chef Sophie Michell who played a vital role in my career as she taught me how to be a strong female figure in the kitchen but always with assertiveness. The only change I made was that I used gingernuts instead of plain digestives. This recipe does not require a standing mixer so I will simply be using a large bowl and whisk. Making mixes with just a bowl and a spoon really takes me back to baking at home with my mum and also reminds me that if my arm gets tired after 10 seconds of mixing I should definitely hit the gym!

Ingredients for yoghurt, honey and cinnamon cheesecake

• Gingenuts: Gingernuts are full of flavour and attitude, complimenting perfectly this light cheesecake. You can create your own combo with any biscuit you like!
• Butter: Very essential binding ingredient for your base.
• Cornflour: Replacing normal flour to corn flour makes the finish product well…less floury!
• Eggs: Eggs are much needed in this recipe as they help your cheesecake set as it cooks. Careful to not put your temperature up too high as your eggs will turn scrambled!
• Vanilla pod: If you do not want to use vanilla pod, as it is understandably quite pricey, feel free to use 1 heaped teaspoon of vanilla extract instead.
• Honey: Try to use a decent quality honey as it will affect the taste. You could also replace it with maple syrup but that would make it more Canadian than Greek!
• Cinnamon: My favourite spice in the world! You can also experiment with more spices like a pinch of nutmeg or cloves.
• Sultanas: Make sure you do soak them as they will be very chewy and hard if not! You can also replace them with cranberries, goji berries or even chocolate chips!
• Greek yoghurt: Some people confuse Greek style with Greek yoghurt. Buy good authentic Greek yoghurt it will cost you about 20p more but it will make all the difference. And none of the light stuff. Remember tasty is the new skinny!
• Cream cheese: I mean do I really need to mention that? It is in the name! You can buy any full cream cheese you like.

For the cheesecake filling (makes a 25cm tin, serves 8/10 people)

• 300g gingernuts
• 100g unsalted butter
• 500g cream cheese
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 3 eggs
• 200g Greek yoghurt
• 150g honey
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 150g sultanas, already soaked

For the topping

• 170g Greek yoghurt
• 1 vanilla pod
• 50 ml cold water

How to make the cheesecake

1. Start by preheating the oven 140C/gas.
2. In a blender finely crush the gingernut biscuits and mix thoroughly with the melted butter and a pinch of salt. Use an oil spray or simply brush some oil on the inside of a 30cm tin and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit in your cake tin. Pack down your base mix carefully to cover the base. Place in the fridge to set for approximately 20 minutes or until set.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar and corn flour. Add the eggs, yoghurt and then incorporate your honey, cinnamon and drained sultanas, whisking well to combine.
4. Tip the cheese mixture into the cake tin and spread to cover the biscuit base. Wrap the underside of the cake tin with foil and then place in the middle of a large, deep roasting tray, then carefully place it in the oven and cook for approximately 40 minutes.
5. For the topping mix the yoghurt and vanilla pod together in a small bowl with 50ml cold water. Remove cheesecake from the oven and thinly spread the yoghurt topping over the surface.
6. Increase the oven temperature to 160C/gas.
7. Return the cheesecake to the oven for a further 20 minutes. When the cheesecake is just set, take it out and set aside to cool completely. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge overnight before slicing and serving.

Notes

• If you do not have a blender simply place your biscuits into a freezer bag, seal and use a rolling pin to crush your biscuits. This is a great way to achieve a fine powder and take out all your frustrations!
• If your honey is a bit thick like mine, place it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
• Make sure your ingredients are all at room temperature. That way your cheesecake will cook evenly.

Meringue kisses,

Athina