Easy cotton cheesecake

For ➑

255 g white chocolate 

225 g cream cheese, room temperature*

6 large eggs, separated, room temperature

20 cm round (springform) pan

Preheat oven to 175°C°. 

Line bottom and line sides of a 20 cm cake pan with buttered or oiled parchment paper. Or make the paper wet to avoid fat. Center the pan on a large piece of foil and fold foil up over the sides to prevent water from entering pan.

Place white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and heat in microwave in 20-s intervals (or Break the chocolate into pieces and place it in a large bowl. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water (60°C).  Add the cream cheese and melt them together, stirring occasionally, until melted.  Let cool slightly, then add yolks and stir to combine.

Using an electric mixer on high speed, whip egg whites in another large bowl until stiff peaks form. Add a small portion of egg whites to chocolate mixture and stir just until lightened. Gently fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Place pan in a baking dish or roasting pan and add warm water to reach halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake cheesecake until set, 40–45 m. Turn oven off and leave pan in oven 15 m, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Remove cheesecake from pan, transfer to a platter, and chill until cold, at least 4 h or up to overnight.

Serve with some fruit.

*variant smaller version with 200 g cream cheese, 225 g white chocolate, 5 eggs

Easy cotton cheesecake (small)

For ➍-➏
3 eggs, room temperature
120 g white chocolate
120 g cream cheese, softened, room temperature

15 cm round (springform) pan

Preheat the oven to 170°C. 

Separate the eggs. Place the whites in a large bowl and keep them in the refrigerator in preparation for the meringue.
Break the chocolate into pieces and place it in a large bowl. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water (60°C). Add the cream cheese and melt them together. Remove the bowl from the double boiler. Let the mixture cool down. Add the egg yolks, and mix well.
In a large bowl, whip egg whites with an electric mixer until firm peaks form (to make a meringue). 
Add  ⅓ of the meringue into the cream cheese batter and blend well with a spatula. Then add the rest of the meringue ½ at a time and mix well.
Rub some oil/butter on parchment paper to prevent cracking.  Or make the paper wet to avoid fat. Line the round cake pan with the parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan and drop the pan lightly on the counter to raise the air bubbles out of the batter.

Place the cake pan on a baking tray. Pour some hot water into the baking tray. Bake at 170°C  for 15 m, at 160°C for 15 m, then stop the heat and bake with the remaining heat for 15 m.
When it is done, place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool completely. 

/Brush with apricot jam syrup, add whipped cream and/or dust with powdered sugar if desired. Or serve with some fruit./
Serve immediately or chill in the fridge before serving. Cake will slightly harden in the fridge, so leave at room temperature for a few m before you serve.

Minty white chocolate mousse

For ➍
100 g white chocolate
8 tbs (1¼ dl) fresh cream
1 bunch mint leaves
4 eggs, separated
fresh or candied mint leaves to garnish

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie.
Meanwhile, heat the cream with about 8 mint leaves gently in a small pan. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mint leaves soak for a few minutes.
Stir the egg yolks into the melted chocolate.
Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks.
Remove the mint leaves from the cream and beat the cream into the chocolate mixture.
Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to create a light mousse.
Spoon the mousse into fine glasses or cups. Put them in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 h.
Decorate with a sprig of mint or a sweetened mint. Serve with thin wafers or biscuits.

White chocolate & strawberry tart

For ➓ 

375 g sweet shortcrust pastry* 

200 g white chocolate 

500 g mascarpone 

450 g strawberries 

1 tbs icing sugar

 

Preheat the oven to 200 C°. Roll the dough on a flat surface, line a buttered flan tin (23 cm) , blind bake for 10 m. Remove the baking beans and paper and put in for a further 5 - 10 m until golden brown. Set on a wire rack and leave to cool.

Melt the white chocolate with 125 g of the mascarpone in a bain-marie. Transfer to a mixing bowl and, using an (electric) whisk, beat in with the rest of the mascarpone until the mixture is smooth. Pour into the pastry case and set the cake to chill in the fridge for 3 h.*

Wash the strawberries and remove the green. Puree 150 g of them in a food processor, then mix in the icing sugar. Set to chill.

When the cake is set and you're ready to serve, take it out of the fridge, cut up the remaining strawberries and spread them on the cake. Cut the cake up and pour some of the strawberry coulis over the individual pieces.

*Alternatively, use a ready-made pastry case instead. Or bake six rounds of pastry to put in an individual serving cup. Pour chocolate mixture over it and set to cool.