Apricot and Citrus Cheesecakes

Joan Bishop's New Zealand Crockpot and Slow Cooker Cookbook
Published by Random House (Longacre)

The rich creaminess and melt-in-the-mouth texture that we expect from a good cheesecake is here in abundance. Light and tangy, these cheesecakes are sweetly, tartly, overwhelmingly delicious.

I think these cheesecakes are wonderful as they are, but seedless grapes or mandarin segments make a delicious accompaniment. When summer fruits are available, strawberries, raspberries and slices of fresh peach or apricot make the cheesecakes even more irresistible.

If baking as a single cheesecake, I like to present it turned out. I line the base of the soufflé dish to make this easy to do.

Photograph by Linda Robertson.

Crockpot
- low for 1¾-2½ hours

Slow cooker
- low for 1¾-2½ hours

(Serves 6-8)

Ingredients

• non-stick cooking spray
• 500 g cottage cheese (do not use light cottage cheese for this recipe)
• 3 large eggs (size 7)
• 100 g caster sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ Tbsp Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
• ½ tsp almond essence
• 3 Tbsp plain flour
• 100 g Central Otago dried apricots, finely diced

Method

Turn the slow cooker on to low and pour in enough hot tap water to reach 1cm up the sides of the slow cooker.

Assemble a 5-cup capacity soufflé dish, or 8 x 150 ml ramekins which will fit into the slow cooker in two layers. The top layer of ramekins should not be positioned directly above the ones beneath, but slightly offset.

Coat the soufflé dish or ramekins with non-stick cooking spray and line the base of the soufflé dish with non-stick baking paper.

Whizz the cottage cheese in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally. Add the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, range liqueur and almond essence and process for 10 seconds or until well combined.

Mix the flour through the apricots (this stops them sinking) then fold apricots and flour into the cottage cheese mixture.

Divide mixture among prepared ramekins or spoon into the soufflé dish. Do not cover with foil. Place the ramekins inside the slow cooker, positioning them as described above.

Cover with lid and cook according to the times and settings specified above, or until set. The small individual cheesecakes will cook in approximately 1¾ hours and the large one will take approximately 2½ hours.

The centre of the cheesecake should be lightly set and not wobble when the dish is shaken. The cheesecake will continue to cook in its own heat and thicken a little more as it cools. Don't overcook.

Remove from the slow cooker and cool. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. The cheesecakes will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature, with fruit if desired.

Stephen Morris’s wine recommendation

Trinity Hill Noble Viognier 
Seresin Momento Riesling 2008