WHAT YOU NEED

Sweet shortcrust pastry

6 tbsp (90g) butter, diced
3 ½ tbsp (45g) brown sugar
2 tbsp (30g) lightly beaten egg (about 1 medium egg)
1 cup plus 2 tbsp (150g) all-purpose flour
Scant ¼ cup (20g) almond flour
Scant ½ tsp (1g) ground cinnamon
1 pinch fleur de sel
3 tbsp (50g) clarified butter, melted

Cream cheese filling

Scant 3 cups (665g) cream cheese
¼ cup plus 1 tsp (65g) lightly beaten egg (about 1 ½ medium eggs)
¾ cup (135g) superfine sugar
3 tbsp (45ml) heavy cream, min. 35% fat

Blueberry puree

3 tbsp (35g) superfine sugar
½ tsp (2g) pectin
165g blueberry puree

Decoration

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Blueberries
Small pieces of edible gold leaf

PREPARING THE SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

Beat the butter, brown sugar, and egg in the stand mixer until smooth. Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and fleur de sel and beat until just combined.
Bring the dough together with your hands, shape it into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas Mark 4).
Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 5mm. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Break the pastry into pieces and grind to a powder in the food processor. Add the clarified butter and pulse to combine. Line the baking sheet with fresh parchment and place the baking ring on it. Press the pastry over the base and up the sides of the ring in an even layer, about 5mm thick.

PREPARING THE FILLING AND BAKING THE CHEESECAKE

Place one rack in the lower third of the oven and another rack in the centre. Preheat the oven to 330°F (170°C/Gas Mark 3).
Process all the filling ingredients together in the food processor for 1minute until smooth. Pour the mixture over the crust in the ring.
Place a bowl of water on the lower oven rack to create humidity and help prevent the cheesecake from cracking while it bakes. Place the cheesecake on the centre rack. Bake for 40 minutes, then turn the oven off, leaving the cheesecake inside. Leave for 1 hour without opening the oven door.
Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for 1 hour, then chill.

PREPARING THE BLUEBERRY PUREE

Combine the sugar and pectin in a bowl.
Heat the blueberry puree in a saucepan until the temperature reaches 104°F (40°C), then stir in the pectin and sugar until dissolved.
Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and pour directly over the top of the chilled cheesecake.

DECORATING THE CHEESECAKE

Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate and lift off the ring.
Dust the top edge of the crust with confectioners’ sugar and arrange blueberries and small pieces of edible gold leaf over the blueberry puree.

CHEFS’ NOTES

• This cheesecake is even better eaten the following day.
• Be careful not to let the cheesecake cool too quickly as it could sink.
• To clarify butter, melt the butter gently over low heat in a heavy saucepan. Skim off the froth, then pour the clear yellow layer of clarified butter into a jug, leaving behind the milky residue.