Millionaire's Cheesecake (Wheat Free)

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea how and why I invented this dessert, but it certainly exists now if it didn't before. A blend of cheesecake and millionaire's shortbread, I bring you the Millionaire's cheescake!

The other day I made some millionaire's shortbread, which went wrong because I overcooked the caramel, and I still haven't been able to get the idea of cheesecake out of my head since my sister's birthday over a month ago. And yesterday I woke up with this concept jammed in my brain.

Shortbread biscuit base, caramel flavoured cheesecake layer, topped off with delicious dark chocolate ganache sauce: a Hipster's dream dessert, I'm ashamed to say.

My only issue with the dessert is that the layers are not very defined, and I also could have found a way to make the caramel cheesecake taste more caramelly, but this was my first attempt at making this so there's only room for improvement!

I used a heart shaped sillicone mould to make these, and it had eight hearts in it. Alternatively you can use a regular muffin tin, lining each hole with a paper cake case, or in an 8 inch (20 centimetre) round sillicone or springform tin.

Now for the recipe.

FREE FROM
☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products
☒ Dairy
☒ Eggs
☒ Cocoa


 INGREDIMENTS

For the base:

• 4 ounces (115 grammes) spelt flour
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) cornflour
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) butter or margarine
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar
• Pinch of salt

For the cheesecake mixture:

• 1 ounce (30 grammes) golden syrup
• 1 ounce (30 grammes) butter
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) dark brown sugar
• 1 fluid ounce (30 millilitres) whipping cream
• 8 ounces (225 grammes) cream cheese
• 1 medium egg
• Pinch of salt

For chocolate sauce:

• 4 ounces (115 grammes) dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 fluid ounce (30 millilitres) golden syrup
• 3 fluid ounces (90 millilitres) whipping cream
• Pinch of salt

HOW-TO
To make the biscuit base:

• Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F, Gas Mk.2½, or very moderate).
• Make the biscuit base according to this shortbread recipe using the above ingredients, and distribute among the holes in your lined muffin tin. Prick the surface of each shortbread and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
• Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

For the cheesecake:

• While the bases are cooking, prepare the caramel base for the cheescake. In a saucepan, gently heat the golden syrup, cream, butter and sugar until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Once it reaches a boil, simmer gently for one minute only while stirring. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Once the shortbread bases come out of the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 150°C (300°F, Gas Mk.2, or cool). 
• Allow the bases to sit for 10 minutes. By this stage, everything will be at the right temperature to continue.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, caramel mixture and salt until smooth. Add in the egg and mix with a wooden spoon until fully combined.
• Distribute among the individual bases and return to the oven for 20 to 22 minutes, until the cakes are set around the edge but still soft in the centre.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours before service.

To serve, make the sauce:

• In a microwave safe jug, heat the chocolate, syrup and cream together in one minute bursts on 'Defrost', mixing between bursts until it becomes a sauce. Alternatively, you can melt all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
• Serve the cheesecakes with the sauce poured over them, or present each diner with a cheesecake and serve the sauce in a jug for each diner to pour over themselves.

THIS TIME LAST YEAR: The Grand Christmas Cake Creation of 2013 (Part 1)