The first sweet things I ever made were cheesecakes – they provide endless opportunities to explore flavour and are easy peasy!” says chef and Great British Menu host Andi Oliver.
“This particular iteration brings together the creaminess of white chocolate with toasty coconut and vibrant lime to sublime effect. Not too sweet, just right.”
Coconut and lime cheesecake
Serves: 12
For the base:
100g gingernut biscuits
100g oat biscuits, such as Hobnobs
50g desiccated coconut
120g melted unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
For the filling:
280g full-fat cream cheese
4 tbsp coconut condensed milk
200ml coconut milk
150ml cream
Grated zest and juice of 2 limes
100g white chocolate, melted
For the topping:
1 fresh coconut
1 tbsp maple syrup
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 fresh mango, peeled, cored, and diced
22-24cm fluted tart tin, base lined with baking parchment
Method:
1. Put all the biscuits in a sealable food bag and bash them up to fine crumbs using a rolling pin or similar. Tip the crumbs into a bowl and mix with the toasted coconut, melted butter, and salt. Press into the bottom and sides of the tart tin and chill in the fridge for one hour or until set.
2. Combine all the filling ingredients, apart from the chocolate, in a large mixing bowl. Beat together using an electric hand whisk until smooth and slightly thickened. Mix through the melted white chocolate. Spoon the filling on top of the set base and chill for a couple of hours in the fridge until set (do note that this cheesecake has quite a soft-set finish).
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C fan.
4. Crack open the fresh coconut and peel off flakes of the flesh using a vegetable peeler. You want about two handfuls in total. Toss the flakes in the maple syrup and half of the lime zest on a baking tray, then toast in the preheated oven for around 10 minutes until crisp. Leave to cool, then top the cheesecake with the toasted coconut.
5. Mix together the diced mango and remaining lime zest and serve a little spoon of this alongside slices of cheesecake, or pile it on top of the cheesecake as well.
Recipe from ‘The Pepperpot Diaries: Stories From My Caribbean Table’ by Andi Oliver (published by DK, £27; photography by Robert Billington).
