CHESTNUT CHEESE CAKE

Just the thought of chestnuts warms my heart. And what better way to enjoy them than in a celebratory cheesecake? The chestnuts and spices in the crumble base make the cake taste like the Christmas season itself.

1. Cook the peeled chestnuts with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 3 tablespoons water until tender. Let cool down. Preheat the KitchenAid Twelix Oven to 180°C (bottom heat or fan oven). Insert the multi-purpose knife into the KitchenAid Food Processor according to the operating instructions. Slowly add the amarettini, cantuccini and speculaas or ginger biscuits through the feed tube, one at a time, grinding very finely. Mix the finely ground biscuits with the melted butter and press evenly into the bottom of the 20 cm diameter baking pan. Bake nine minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

2. Finely puree the chestnuts in the KitchenAid Food Processor using the multi-purpose knife. set aside.

3. In the KitchenAid stand mixer, using the flat beater, beat the sugar and cream cheese until creamy. Add a pinch of salt, then the eggs and yolks. Keep stirring. Add the chestnut puree, vanilla extract and (if needed) the rum.

4. Prepare the springform pan for use in the water bath; Wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Bring about a liter of water to a boil. Baking the cheesecake in a double boiler makes it creamy and velvety without cracking the top.

5. Pour the chestnut filling on the bottom. Place in a deep roasting pan or baking tray and fill about 2cm of water to enclose the cake. Bake 45 minutes. After about 20 minutes, check whether there is still water in the mold.

6. Take out of the oven. The cake will wobble a little - that's normal! Remove the aluminum foil. Use a knife to loosen the edges of the cheesecake from the baking pan. This prevents the top from breaking open.

7. Increase the temperature in the Twelix oven to 200°C. Mix together the sour cream, sugar, a pinch of salt and lemon juice for the glaze. Pour over the cheesecake and bake for five minutes until the glaze sets. Let cool on a wire rack for two hours, then place in the fridge. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. The cake should not be placed in the refrigerator until it has completely cooled to room temperature; otherwise the ground will soften. Otherwise the soil will become too limp and soft. Remove from the baking pan and serve.

INGREDIENTS