Apple Cheesecake with Bastogne Biscuit Base and Apple Jelly

Recipe for the most delicious cheesecake with apples and a Bastogne biscuit base.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Danish

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 5 15

Total Time 6

Servings people

Melt the butter in a saucepan and turn off the heat.
Blitz both types of biscuit to fine crumbs, and mix with the melted butter. Let the biscuit mixture cool slightly.
Line the base of a springform tin with baking parchment, then fit an acetate cake collar around the inside of the ring.
If using a cake ring, place it on a chopping board with a sheet of baking parchment underneath, and line the inside of the ring with acetate.
Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and press it out firmly so the whole base is covered and the crumbs are well compacted, – this way the base will not crumble when you slice the cake.
Chill and leave to rest while you make the cream cheese filling.

Put the diced apple, water, sugar and vanilla seeds in a saucepan, and cook the apples over a medium heat until tender - about 10-12 minutes. Stir from time to time.
*You can add the empty vanilla pod to the pan as well; it gives the compote plenty of flavour - but may make it a little darker.
Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and blend the compote until smooth.
Chill the compote until completely cold.

Soak the gelatine leaves in a large bowl of cold water for about 15 min.
Whip the cream to soft peaks.
Beat the cream cheese with the icing sugar and lemon juice. Beat until smooth and free of lumps.
Then stir in the apple compote, and beat again until free of lumps.
Melt the soaked gelatine in a small saucepan over a very low heat, – it only takes a few seconds, so keep an eye on it. Do not squeeze out the gelatine before melting; the little water clinging to it makes the melting easier to control. Alternatively, add 2 tbsp water.
Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the gelatine has melted.
Stir a couple of large spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture into the pan with the melted gelatine, and stir until smooth and the mixture has cooled. Test with your little finger whether it is cool enough to fold into the cream cheese mixture; if not, add another spoonful.
Fold the gelatine mixture into the cream cheese mixture, and stir well. Use gentle movements so you keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
Pour the filling over the biscuit base, – spread it out with a spoon if needed, and tap the tin gently on the worktop to knock out any air bubbles and fill the tin completely.
*It helps to warm the back of a spoon in a little hot water, dry it off, and use it to smooth the surface of the cake.
Return the cake to the fridge and leave to set for at least 3 hours.

Soak the gelatine leaves in a large bowl of cold water for about 15 min.
Warm 100 ml of the apple juice in a small saucepan, turn off the heat, and stir in the soaked, squeezed-out gelatine leaves, – one at a time.
*The apple juice should not boil, just be warm enough for the gelatine to melt.
Then stir the rest of the cold apple juice into the pan, and check that the liquid has cooled well. It should be no warmer than 30°C, - otherwise you risk melting the top of the cheesecake.
Pour the apple juice over the cake, – ideally over the back of a spoon so the stream does not hit the cake directly.
Chill the cake until the jelly has set, about a couple of hours, or ideally overnight.
Decorate the cake with white chocolate pearls and fresh soft thyme.