Rhubarb and Ginger Cheesecake
I always love the time in February when the young pink forced
Rhubarb from the Rhubarb Triangle comes on the scene. The city of Wakefield in
the north of England turns pink with the Rhubarb Festival for a weekend at the
end of February. It’s one of the most important food and drink festivals in the
national calendar.
We all love cheesecake so here’s a recipe for
Rhubarb and Ginger Cheesecake
which I was given at one of the talks I did in the Wakefield area. It’s just
perfect for this time of year with an added hint of ginger to warm us up!
For the base
70g melted butter
170g ginger biscuits (crushed)
1 tbsp caster sugar
For the Rhubarb
300g rhubarb, trimmed and cu50g demerara
sugar
Zest and juice of ½ orange
For the filling
200g mascarpone or cream cheese
1 balls of stem ginger (finely chopped)
Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange
300ml double cream
Lightly grease a 20cm springform cake tin. Line the base with
baking paper.
To make the base, crush the biscuits until fine. You can do this in a food processor. Add the melted butter and mix. Pour into the tin and press firmly onto the base until it is an even layer. Chill while you prepare the Rhubarb and the filling.
Heat the oven to Mark
3, 160C (140C fan). Wash and cut the pieces and sprinkle demerara
sugar, orange zest and orange juice over them.
Then cook them in the oven for about 15 minutes until tender. This way the Rhubarb retains its maximum flavour. Drain off any excess juices and allow to cool.
Beat the mascarpone until smooth. Add the chopped ginger and
orange zest. Slowly whisk in the cream until the mixture has just thickened. Add
the Rhubarb (keeping back 3-5 pieces of Rhubarb for decorations. Spoon the
mixture into the biscuit-lined tin and spread into an even layer. Chill for 4-5
hours or overnight, until firm. Carefully release the springform tin and
transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish or plate. Arrange the rhubarb pieces on
the top to decorate.
And if you want to try more Rhubarb recipes, here are more from Grandma
Abson’s collection :
