I was in the supermarket the other day when I saw Lotus Biscoff Sandwich biscuits on special offer. I’ve eaten the ‘plain’ Biscoff biscuits before – crunchy and cinnamony – alongside a cup of coffee. I thought the creamy double-decker variety would work as a cake base for a honeycomb cheesecake.
Don’t fear the process of making the honeycomb (like I did, first time round). Firstly, have everything you need prepared and to hand; the lined baking sheet, the little spoonful of bicarbonate of soda already portioned out into a little container (an egg cup is ideal), your metal whisk (the caramel will be SUPER-hot, a plastic one may melt) and a trivet to put your hot saucepan on to.
Then, if you don’t have a jam thermometer, you just need to give the cooking caramel your absolute, undivided attention for a few minutes. You’ll notice the size of the effervescent bubbles getting smaller and smaller and, as soon as you see the colour darken to that of a Crunchie bar, whip it off the heat and quickly whisk in the bicarb before immediately pouring it out on to the baking sheet.
Since I’ve cooked many different types of baked cheesecakes over the years, I’ve picked up a few tips here and there…
To achieve the best texture… 1. don’t over-whip the mixture, 2. wrap the bottom of the tin securely in aluminium foil (so it’s water tight) and cook in a water bath / bain marie or use Wilton Bake-even strips – which stop the top from cracking, 3. cook it long & slow in a fairly cool oven, 4. end the cooking process by switching off the oven, leaving the oven door slightly ajar, leaving the cheesecake in there to cool down slowly.
Make sure you allow the cheesecake to cool completely before removing it from its tin and peeling off the parchment. It’s also important for it to be cold before brushing the top with warm honey.
The honeycomb has a tendency to soften up once it’s been on top of the cheesecake for a few hours… not that I see anything wrong with that, I quite like it like that. However, if you want to keep the crunchiness, only sprinkle the crushed honeycomb over the top as it’s being served.
The cinnamon base works really well with the honey glaze and caramel-flavoured honeycomb. It’s sure to trigger positive responses from friends and family when they see and taste this attractive dessert.
Click here or on the image below to save this honeycomb cheesecake to Pinterest
Honeycomb cheesecake
Ingredients
For the base
- 1 150g packet of Lotus Biscoff Sandwich biscuits
- 50 g/1¾oz butter
For the honeycomb
- 100 g/3½oz caster sugar
- 2 tbsps runny honey
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 15 g/½oz butter
- pinch of salt
- 30 ml/1fl oz water
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda baking soda
For the filling
- 500 g/1lb cream cheese at room temperature
- 200 g/7oz caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsps cornflour
- 300 ml/10½fl oz soured cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp runny honey
Instructions
For the base
- Lightly grease and line a 18cm/7" spring-form cake tin
- Melt the butter gently in a small pan on a low heat
- Roughly break up the biscuits and place them in a food processor. Process the biscuits for 2-3 minutes until they resemble fine crumbs
- Pour in the melted butter and process for 30 seconds to combine
- Put the biscuit mixture into the base of the tin, using the back of a spoon to smooth the surface evenly
- Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
For the honeycomb
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan stir together the sugar, honey, cream of tartar, butter, salt and water (make sure the saucepan is a large one, as the contents will rapidly expand to about 3 times the size once the bicarb is mixed in)
- Simmer until the butter and sugar have dissolved, then turn up the heat to 120ºC/252ºF (hard ball stage). You need to be very careful at this point, as it can quickly tip over the desired temperature and burn
- Remove the caramel from the hob and whisk in the bicarbonate of soda
- Immediately (but very carefully) pour the bubbling contents out on to the prepared baking sheet. Allow the honeycomb to cool completely before peeling it off the parchment
- Crush the honeycomb into rough, uneven pieces using a rolling pin. Set aside
For the filling
- Rinse out the processor bowl. Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl and process for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cornflour, sour cream and vanilla extract and process for 30 seconds to combine
- Pour the filling into the tin and bake in a low oven at 150°C/300ºF/Gas mark 2 for 1 hour. When cooked, the cheesecake should be well-risen, with a slightly browned top. It should feel slightly firm to the touch and wobble just a little when shaken slightly. If the mixture still appears wet or sloppy, continue to bake a little longer
- When cooked, turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven, with the door slightly ajar
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool completely - at least and hour
- In a small bowl or ramekin, warm the honey in the microwave for 5-10 seconds before brushing over the top of the cheesecake
- Sprinkle the crushed honeycomb evenly over the top of the honey-brushed cheesecake
