Durian Delight Cheesecake

Ingredients: 1 piece 22 cm / 11 inches blind-baked Tart Shell – see below* 900 g / 1 ¾ pounds Cream Cheese ½ cup / 4 fl oz Sour Cream or Natural Yoghurt ¾ cup / 6 fl oz Honey 1 Tbsp / ½ oz Castor Sugar 4 Large Eggs, separated ½ cup / 4 fl oz Fresh Milk 1 ½ cups / 12 fl oz Durian Flesh 1 Tbsp / ½ fl oz Vanilla Essence Castor Sugar for dusting 22-cm Blind-baked Base Ingredients*: 150 g / 5 oz Butter, cut into large cubes, chilled ¼ cup / 2 oz Caster Sugar 1 Egg 1½ cups / 12 oz All-Purpose Flour ½ cup / 4 oz sliced toasted Almonds Green Beans / Chickpeas – enough to cover pan for a layer

Method: With an electric mixer, blend the Cream Cheese till smooth. Add in Egg Yolks one at a time, and leave the mixture blending for 2 minutes to mix well. Add in Sour Cream, Honey and Milk, and Vanilla Essence. Blend till smooth. Occasionally, use a plastic spatula to scrape the side of the bowl to avoid clumps. Add in Durian flesh and mix well. In another bowl, beat Egg Whites till white and fluffy. Fold the Egg Whites into the batter. Pour batter unto Blind-baked Base, and bake for 50 minutes at 180°C (350°F). Turn off the oven heat, and leave the door ajar. Allow the Cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour or two. Once the Cheesecake has cooled, dust the top lightly with Castor Sugar. 22-cm Blind-baked Base: Place Flour, Butter, Sugar and Almond in a large bowl, and rub them through fingertips till rough dough is formed. Add in egg, and continue to knead the dough till smooth. Add cold water if necessary. Place to rest in fridge for 20 minutes. Place dough in a 22-cm non-stick spring form pan. Pat pastry into corners of the pan, making sure the pan is evenly lined with pastry before trimming off the excess. Score the pastry with a fork, and then place tin foil over the pastry and fill the top with Green Beans. Bake the pastry for 20 minutes at 180°C (360°F), till crust becomes nice and golden. Remove foil (together with Green Peas), and set aside to cool.