Feta PDO Cheesecake with Muscat Jelly and Almond Crumble

This beautiful cheesecake and jelly dessert will blow away your friends at your next dinner party.

INGREDIENTS

125g Feta PDO, cut into 1 cm pieces
2 cups (500ml) milk
250g cream cheese, softened
50g each icing sugar and caster sugar
125g thick Greek-style yogurt
150ml pure (thin) cream
1 1/2 tbs honey
2 egg yolks
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup (250ml) Samos muscat (Greek wine – from selected bottle shops)
2 titanium-strength gelatine leaves
Sliced poached pears, blueberries and pomegranate seeds, to serve

MUSCAT JELLY

3 titanium-strength gelatine leaves
1 cup (250ml) Samos muscat (see above)
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar

ALMOND CRUMBLE

1/2 cup (80g) almonds, finely chopped
1/2 cup (45g) rolled oats
1/4 cup (35g) each spelt and plain flour
50g cold unsalted butter, chopped
1/4 cup (55g) brown sugar
1 tbs each black and white sesame seeds

METHOD

1. Place Feta PDO in a large bowl and cover with milk. Chill for 2 hours to soak.
2. For the muscat jelly, soften gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze to remove excess water. Meanwhile, combine muscat, sugar and 1/2 cup (125ml) water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 1 minute or until warmed slightly. Remove from heat and stir in gelatine until melted. Pour into a small shallow container lined with plastic wrap and chill for 5 hours or until set. Cut into 2cm squares.
3. Preheat oven to 160°C. For the almond crumble, combine almonds, oats and flours in a bowl and rub in butter until large crumbs form. Stir through sugar, sesame seeds and 1 tsp salt. Spread onto a baking paper-lined baking tray and bake, turning occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
4. Drain Feta PDO , discarding whey. Place in a food processor with cream cheese, icing sugar, yogurt and 50ml pure cream, and whiz until smooth. Return to bowl.
5. Place caster sugar, honey, egg yolks, lemon zest and juice, and 11/2 tbs muscat in a heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don’t let bowl touch water) and whisk constantly for 6-8 minutes until thick and foamy. Remove from heat and whisk until completely cool.
6. Soften the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze to remove excess water. Warm remaining 50ml muscat in a pan over medium heat, then stir in the gelatine until melted and combined. Fold into cheese mixture. Whisk the remaining 100ml pure cream to soft peaks, then fold through egg mixture. Fold egg mixture through cheese mixture, then divide among six 200ml-capacity round shallow moulds and chill for 4 hours or until set.
7. Dip moulds in warm water and gently invert onto plates. Serve with crumble, jelly, pears, berries and pomegranate.