Turkish delight cheesecake
Shelina's Turkish delight cheesecake makes a beautiful centrepiece for an Eid feast. Best of all, it needs no baking at all, just set it in the fridge overnight and serve it the next day.
You will need a food processor and a 20cm/8in springform cake tin to make this recipe.
Ingredients
For the base
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú digestive biscuits
- 150g/5½oz salted butter
For the cheesecake filling
- 300ml/10fl oz double cream
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú golden icing sugar
- 500g/1lb 2oz full-fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp rosewater
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú pomegranate seeds
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú meringue kisses, crushed
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú Turkish delight, roughly chopped
To serve
- 200g/7oz Turkish delight
- 10²µ/â…“o³ú meringue kisses
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú pomegranate seeds
- 2 sheets edible gold leaf
- handful pink rose petals
Method
To make the base, blitz the digestive biscuits in a food processor to make a fine crumb. Melt the salted butter in a pan or in the microwave, then combine the two in a mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Tip the buttery crumbs into a 20cm/8in springform cake tin, pressing down firmly to make a solid base. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
To make the cheesecake filling, whisk together the double cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Fold or gently whisk in the cream cheese, vanilla extract, rosewater, then fold in the pomegranate seeds, crushed meringue and Turkish delight.
Pour the filling into the cake tin over the chilled biscuit base and flatten the top with a spatula. Place in the fridge to set – you can check after a minimum of 2 hours but ideally leave the cheesecake overnight to set.
To serve, decorate the top of the cheesecake with more Turkish delight, meringue, pomegranate seeds and some gold leaf. Finish with fresh rose petals and serve.
Recipe Tips
Meringue kisses are mini meringues, often coloured pink or red. You can find them in big supermarkets, or try making them yourself with our easy raspberry mini meringues recipe.