Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Gluten Free Base

I was on a mission this weekend to make a cheesecake - I've never actually made one before and it seems like such a great time of year. Labour Weekend to me has always signaled the start of summer and the better weather. So in anticipation of some top class BBQ weather I made this to share with some super friends.

The cheesecake itself was super easy and the ingredients list pretty simple. The base was a bit more convoluted however but I loved making it and its well worth it. I'll include both the cheesecake and the gluten free biscuits recipe below. I wasn't entirely happy with the look of this one as I was expecting more height but it tasted amazing.

I'm now a huge fan of making (and OF COURSE eating) cheesecake - I think there will be a few more featured here before the summer is out. And I can only hope I'll get better and better at them.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Base:

1 1/2 cups gluten free biscuit crumbs

115g butter

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons cocoa

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds

Filling:

3/4 cup (210g) crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup cream

250g cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

Hot Chocolate Sauce:

200g dark eating chocolate

20g butter

1/2 cup cream

For the base, melt butter, sugar and cocoa together. When combined and warm take off heat and add egg, stirring to thicken. Stir in crumbs, coconut and almonds. Press firmly into 24cm round loose-based flan tin. Freeze for 30 minutes.

To make the filling combine cream and peanut butter in small saucepan and stir over a low heat until smooth. Cool. Beat cream cheese and sugar in mixer until smooth. Stir in peanut butter mixture. Spread over base, cover with foil and freeze for 3 hours or overnight.

Make the hot chocolate sauce and serve with the cheesecake.

(The toppings are made with cheesecake mixture and the base rolled together - cheesecake bites! I popped them in the fridge to set and then dipped them in the chocolate sauce before serving. Also some cream fraiche on the top. Suffice to say this recipe ain't for the dieter!)

Gluten Free Honey Biscuits:

1 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum rice flour

3/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tspn baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

100g unsalted butter

1/3 cup honey

5 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons vanilla

Put flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a food processor. Add butter and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs.

In a separate bowl combine milk, honey and vanilla and add to flour mix. It will be very soft and sticky but wrap in glad wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. When chilled you will need to use a fair bit of flour when rolling it out as its a sticky mixture still. Roll out and cut into shapes and bake for 25 mins or until browned at 180 deg C.

This recipe made me more than enough for the base and some for leftovers to freeze, and even some to give away to my gluten free friends Ash and Cinz so you get plenty out of it.