Prep time: 1 hour, plus cooling and refrigeration time
Cook time: 2 hours
Serves 8-10.
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Ingredients
Shichimi togarashi
Thinly peeled zest of 1 orange
2 nori sheets
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
1 tbs white sesame seeds
1 tbs black sesame seeds
Pinch ground ginger
Wholemeal biscuits
250g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
85g icing sugar mixture
115g cold butter, chopped
125ml milk
Biscuit base
250g wholemeal biscuits (as above)
125g butter, melted
Filling
500g cream cheese, at room temperature, chopped
125g caster sugar
125g brown sugar
2 ½ tbs white miso paste
300ml thickened cream
3 eggs
Miso caramel
110g caster sugar
60ml water
125ml thickened cream
2 tbs white miso
Method
1. Preheat oven to 140C.
2. To make shichimi togarashi, place the orange zest on a baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes, adding nori to baking tray for last 15 minutes. Cool completely. Place in a small processor or grinder with chilli flakes and peppercorns. Process to form fine crumbs. Stir in seeds and ginger.
3. Increase the oven to 180C. Lightly grease a baking tray and line with baking paper.
4. To make biscuits, process flour, baking powder and icing sugar to combine. Add butter and process to form fine crumbs. Add milk and process until a dough just comes together.
5. Roll out dough on a lightly floured until about 5mm thick. Cut into 5cm rounds and arrange on prepared tray, leaving room for biscuits to spread slightly. Re- roll as necessary. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
6. Lightly grease a 20cm round springform pan. Line base and side with baking paper.
7. To make biscuit base, break the biscuits up into the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely crushed. Add the125g of melted butter. Process until combined. Transfer to the prepared pan. Use the bottom of a flat glass to spread and press firmly over the base of the pan. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
8. Reduce oven to 160C.
9. To make filing, use electric beaters to beat the cream cheese, caster and brown sugar and miso in a large bowl until smooth. Add the cream and beat until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
10. Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the biscuit base. Place on a baking tray. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the cheesecake is just set, but still has a slight wobble in the centre. Turn the oven off. Cool cheesecake in oven, with door slightly ajar, for 2 hours. Transfer to the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
11. To make the miso caramel, stir sugar and the water in a medium heavy based saucepan over medium heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Use a wet pastry brush to brush any stray grains on side of pan back down into mixture. Bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture turns a rich golden brown. Add cream and whisk until smooth and combined. Whisk in miso until smooth.
12. Serve cheesecake drizzled with miso caramel. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi.
Tip
Leftover shichimi togarashi can be stored in an airtight container.