Eggnog Cheesecake

by Renee Shibuya

(our resident Master Chef!)

I was first introduced to Eggnog when I lived in Japan. An English friend of mine used to make it as a tradition every Christmas. I can’t say I ever got used to the raw egg slimy feeling, but can see how it could be an acquired taste. Served heated on a cold winter’s night it would warm the body through.  I also had an American friend who liked to serve hers with lots of alcohol and cream. Eggnog would not be a tradition I could say was New Zealand or even Australian for that matter. Maybe it is our warm Christmas weather that never encouraged such a fiery drink.

In saying this, this cheesecake doesn’t really have much to do with raw eggs, but it does have a nice (cooked) eggy flavour along with a touch of rum and brandy. Last year I shared with you my mother’s brandy ball recipe, which has been a favourite in our family for years. It may well be that I favoured this cheesecake because of it’s lovely brandy taste.  The cheesecake is a baked cheesecake, so don’t worry too much about the alcohol content, it should evaporate during baking. If you are concerned, try making it using rum and brandy essence to get the flavour, but not the punch. Try small amounts each time until you are happy with the balance.

The topping makes this cheesecake very beautiful and covers all your mistakes in baking! Making a pretty pattern with a stencil and some nutmeg over the top finishes off the Christmas touch!

 Ingredients:

Crust:

              1 packet ginger nut biscuits

              1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

              1/4 cup melted butter

Filling:

              700g cream cheese (room temperature)

            3/4 cup caster sugar

              2 tbsp dark rum

              1 tbsp brandy

              1 tsp vanilla extract

              1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

              3 eggs (room                                temperature)

Topping:

1 1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

  Nutmeg for decoration

Crush the biscuits into a fine grain using a plastic bag and a rolling pin, or by spinning in the blender. Mix the melted butter and nutmeg with the biscuit crumbs until well mixed. Press down into a cheesecake pan with a removable bottom. Set in the fridge.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer  or hand beaters in a large bowl until smooth. Add rum, brandy, vanilla and nutmeg. Blend well. Add one egg at a time on a slow speed until mixed through. Spoon the filling onto the biscuit base. Bake at 180 °C for 45 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes inside the pan.

For topping:

Whisk the sour cream, sugar and vanilla and pour over the cheesecake, filling the depressed centre and spreading evenly to the edges. Bake for 8 minutes at 200°C. Cool. Cover with plastic wrap overnight.

Sift nutmeg over the cheesecake, using a stencil if desired to make a pretty pattern.