When we got the brief of what we'd be baking in week 6, I went into total meltdown. A French Wedding Cake that needs not only to stand to attention, be unique in taste but also look stunning. I tralled the internet and my cookery books for inspiration and came up with what I felt would be great flavours then looked again. I think I actually had sleepless nights. The cheesecake wasn't a problem at all, my lovely friend Heather had made a rum and raisin bread and butter pudding when i'd been over to dinner the week before and it was delightful. So I thought great flavour combo, now just to get the creaminess right and we're onto a winner! So the practice began. Cheesecake, one attempt perfect creamy, dreamy, fluffy delight.
But and it's a great big BUT now on to the Croquembouche. Before I even got to fill my choux buns Ellie (the naughty dog) ate 70 of them that i'd left cooling on racks. I had got up at silly o'clock to make them before the school run. So, take 2, I thought I might try sticking the buns together with white chocolate before adding the crack. Oh no that didn't work, hot caramel and chocolate sloppy mess!! Take 3, I get something like a French wedding cake. Take 4 perfect, when I left home for the weekends filming it was standing proud in the fridge, so from that you'd think yay it's all going to be just dandy, well you guys know the rest.
Rum & Raisin cheesecake
50 g melted butter
10 digestive biscuit
100 g raisins soaked overnight in white rum.
600g cream cheese
2 tbsp plain flour
175g caster sugar
vanilla extract
2 eggs plus 1 yolk
2 x 142 pots of soured cream
- Heat the oven to 180C Crush the biscuits in a food processor Mix with the butter. Press into a 20cm springform tin and bake for 5 minutes, then cool.
- Combine the cream cheese, flour, sugar, a few drops of vanilla, eggs, the yolk, and a pot of the soured cream until light and fluffy. Mix in the rum soaked raisins, Pour into the tin. Bake for 30 minutes pour over 1 pot of sour cream mixed with a couple of tablespoons of icing sugar,bake for 10 mins more then check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the centre. Leave in the tin to cool. Chill for 8 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Click for Mary Berry's Roulade