Very guilty cheesecake

Ingredients

base:
75 g pretzels
115 g pecans or walnuts
75 g melted butter
pinch of sea salt

filling:
400 g cream cheese
1 vanilla bean, seeds only
40 g cornstarch
500 g mascarrpone
300 g organic golden caster sugar
3 medium eggs 
2 egg yolks
145 ml sweet cream (whipping creram)

decoration:
caramel (see the recipe here)
figs, if in season
pretzels, all year around

Prepare

Preheat the oven to 210° using the top and bottom elements. Place the oven rack one level below centre. Line the bottom and sides of 23 cm pan with parchment paper.

For the base, process pretzelsand nuts. Add butter and salt, and mix. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Take out and leave to cool a bit. Lower the temperature to 130 degrees. 

Place half pof the cream cheese, vanilla and cornstarch in a bowl and beat on medium speed with the paddle attachmentor whisk about 2 minutes, until the mixture is creamy, scraping down the sides as you go. Continue to beat, gradually adding the cream cheese and mascarpone in 200 g portions, mixing well after each addition. After all the cream cheese has been incorporated, add the sugar (about 80 g each time) and beat until creamy. Still on medium speed, mix the eggs in well, one by one, continuously scraping down the sides. Finally, add sweet cream and whip only until incorporated.

Pour batter into the cake pan and bake for 1 h and 30 minutes. Open the door and leave the cake to cool there for 15 morre minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Only when cool, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 12 h.

Spread yogurt on the cake before serving. Top with berries and pistachios. 

Recipe and pictures: Signe Meirane
Camera: Sony Alpha 7s