YET ANOTHER PERSIMMON RECIPE: persimmon cheesecake with a walnut crust

I know your probably thinking not another persimmon recipe!!!!!!! Just let me say that when my friend brought me over three buckets of this gorgeous fruit they were very large buckets.  I have been making persimmon recipe after persimmon recipe, which is ok because my family all love persimmons.

Because the variety of persimmons I have, they are the astringent type (which means they have a high tannin content, making immature fruit bitter and leaving a puckered furry taste/feeling in mouth) I’m a little limited in the recipes I can make, they are all desert types as the fruit needs to be extremely ripe and soft. The fruit when ripe has a waxy thin skinned shell with a thick jelly like pulp inside it is sweet and delicious.

And as far as desserts go cheesecake has to be up there at the top. A rich smooth creamy cake so versatile in flavours your limited only by your imagination.

I’ve gone for a baked cheesecake for this recipe, as I actually prefer them, this recipe is based off the traditional new york cheesecake . The texture of this persimmon cheesecake is smooth and creamy and not too sweet, the sour cream topping adding the final touch and balance to this delicious dessert.

RECIPE:

• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tsp melted butter

• 2 cups pureed persimmons
• 750g cream cheese
• 11/4 cups white sugar
• 3/4 sour cream
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 6 eggs

• 11/4 cups sour cream
• 3 Tsp white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 170º
2. Pulse walnuts in a food processor until fine, then mix together in a bowl with brown sugar and melted butter
3. Press in mixture into into the bottom of a 20cm spring form pan
4. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes set aside to cool completely
5. Combine persimmons, cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, cinnamon,and ginger in food processor, blend until smooth
6. Add eggs 1 at a time mixing well between each addition
7. pour mixture over cooled crust
8. bake in preheated oven until mostly set centre still being slightly jiggly, 60 – 75 minutes
9. While cheesecake is baking, whisk together sour cream, sugar and vanilla
10. spread evenly over cheesecake while still hot and return to oven for another 10 minutes
11. Allow to cool completely, then cover loosely with aluminium foil and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours or overnight before serving

To serve I decorated with walnuts and fresh persimmon puree.

recipe source; allrecipes.com.au

Tagged: baking, Cheesecake, Cream cheese, Food Processor, Fruit, Oven, Persimmon, Sour cream, Sugar, wlanuts