Denise says:

  • This is a cheesecake inside a short crust pastry that is made with tahini and flavoured with vanilla extract.  The filling has chunky pieces of chocolate inside – just a divine combination with a cream cheese and sour cream mixture.  It makes a big pie, but don’t worry people will want seconds!
  • Preparation Time: 35 minutes plus 30 minutes to rest
  • Cooking Time: 1 hour plus cooling for 1 hour
  • Serves:  8-10 people

Ingredients:

  • Vanilla Tahini Pastry
  • 2 large eggs
  • 50ml vegetable oil
  • 60g tahini paste
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 250g plain flour
  • Pinch salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • Filling
  • 450g cream cheese, softened
  • 100g sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 170g plain chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon plain flour
  • Topping: 2 tablespoons cocoa powder – sieved

Method

  1. Using a food processor combine the eggs, oil, tahini, sugar, and vanilla.
  2. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the wet mixture and stir until a dough has formed. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/ Gas mark 6.
  4. Roll out the pastry between two pieces of cling film to fit a round 22cm loose base baking tin. Trim the sides. Cover with foil, insert baking beans and bake blind for 20 minutes. Set aside.
  5. For the filling using a mixer whisk the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat until evenly combined.
  6. In a small bowl, toss chocolate chips and flour and fold into cheesecake mixture.
  7. Pour cheesecake filling over the cooked pastry base.
  8. Bake until centre of cheesecake only slightly jiggles, about 40 minutes.
  9. Turn off heat, prop open oven door, and let cheesecake cool in oven, 1 hour, then remove refrigerate cheesecake in pan until firm, at least 5 hours and up to overnight.
  10. Dust with cocoa powder.
Tagged in: chocolate chips, Cream Cheese, dessert, Eggs, English, Jewish, Plain Flour, Shavuot, sour cream, Tahini, Tea