Chai Cheesecake

One of the wonderful things about working at a cafe is that you get free food. Sometimes, you get free samples - of white chocolate frappe mix, chai powder or royal icing. There were 4 packets of chai powder that had been sitting around for almost 6 months under the coffee machine. They got moved to the staff table, and after sitting around there for a few weeks, I decided to take them home.

So, what to do with the chai powder? The first thing I thought of was chai cheesecake. Yes, you may shudder, but really, I think its a great idea. Creamy cheese goodness with spices and a slight caramel taste...yes...yes!

I don't like gelatine cheesecakes, so this is a baked cheesecake - sans gelatine.

Chai cheesecake with blueberries!

Chai Cheesecake

250g packet plain biscuits (I like arnotts nice biscuits)

125g butter

500g cream cheese

1/2c castor sugar

1 tspn vanilla

3 eggs

1 Tbspn cornflour

300mL sour cream

35g of chai powder

2 Tbsp hot water

Crush biscuits in food processor (or place in a bag and SMASH with a rolling pin).

Melt butter and add crushed biscuits. Mix well. You may need to add a little more butter - the biscuits should clump together when rolled into a ball.

Press butter mix into a lined 25cm tin (springform is best) and put in fridge to set.

Preheat oven to 160C.

Place cream cheese in a bowl and beat well - until lighter and smoother.

While that is beating, mix chai powder and water in a small bowl to make a thick paste. Add the sour cream in and stir well.

Back to the cream cheese - rain the castor sugar in slowly.

Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time then cornflour, beating well between each addition.

Add the chai sour cream to the cream cheese mix, beat in well.

Remove the base from the fridge, and pour the cream cheese mix over.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until middle is firm.

Serve with fresh cream and fruit!

Tips:

-You can make mini cheesecakes using a well greased muffin tin. Place the mini cheesecakes in patty pans once cooked to help maintain shape.

-Cheesecake can be frozen for later use!

My babcias mixer - still going strong!

I had too much bicuit, so made an extra cake - but then didnt have enough mix! It was very thin.

Mini cheesecake fun!