ingredients
serves 10 - 12
1 stick (8 Tbsp)100 g butter or margarine
175g water biscuits, finely crushed
2 tbsps poppy seeds
garlic salt
freshly ground black pepper
for the filling
275 g full fat soft cheese
175 g Danish blue cheese, or other blue cheese, crumbled
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp French mustard
300 ml double or whipping cream
garlic salt
freshly ground black pepper
30 g powdered gelatine
8 tbsp water
100 g walnuts, chopped
for the topping
paprika
12 walnut halves
100 g full fat soft cheese
small cluster of black (Concord) grapes
method
1. Melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan over a gentle heat and stir in the water biscuit crumbs together with the poppy seeds, and garlic salt and pepper to taste.
2. Press evenly over the bottom of a greased loose-bottomed 25-30 cm/10-12 inch round cake tin. Chill while you make the filling.
3. Soften the full fat cheese in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the blue cheese until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks, mustard, cream, and garlic salt and pepper to taste.
4. Put the gelatine and water into a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan of hot water and stir until the gelatine has dissolved.
5. Beat the gelatine into the cheese mixture. Leave until on the point of setting.
6. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold lightly but thoroughly into the cheese mixture, together with the chopped walnuts.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and shake the tin gently to level the surface. Chill for 3-4 hours or until the filling is set.
8. Ease the sides of the tin carefully away from the cheesecake and lift the set cheesecake out on the tin base.
10. Sprinkle paprika on top and decorate with walnut halves sandwiched with the cheese, and black grapes.
