Selfridges Challenge - Christmas Pudding Cheesecake

Today I will be venturing off to London on a very exciting challenge.

Today I will be visiting the Selfridges Oxford Street store with three other bloggers to meet the head chef from one of their restaurants.

Today I will be taking something that I've made to be judged by this chef with a chance to win a great prize.

Today I will be very nervous.

The challenge

Last week I was sent one of the fabulous Selfridges hampers filled with some bright and sunny Selfridges own label products and given the challenge of creating a recipe around the products in the hamper.

 

After much deliberation I decided to go with a cheesecake, using the following items from the hamper (along with a few more of my own):

Brandy Butter
Handmade Chocolate Butter Shortbread Biscuits
Christmas Pudding
Giant Milk Chocolate Coin

Christmas Pudding Cheesecake

200g Selfridges Handmade Chocolate Butter Shortbread Biscuits, crushed

90g Selfridges Brandy Butter, melted

400g Full fat cream cheese

400ml Double cream

40g Caster sugar

zest of 2 clementines

1 tsp Cinnamon

450g Selfridges Christmas Pudding, cooked, cooled & crumbled

To decorate

200ml Double cream

3tbsp Malteser vodka (or Baileys)

90g Selfridges giant milk chocolate coin

Cranberries 

• Mix to the crushed shortbread biscuits together with the brandy butter
• Press into the base of a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin
• Place in the fridge whilst the filling is made
• Beat together the cream cheese, cream, caster sugar and orange zest until smooth
• Fold in the christmas pudding until evenly distributed
• Spread the filling over the base and smooth the top
• Place in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight
• Make the chocolate holly leaves by melting the chocolate and piping leaves onto a sheet of baking paper
• Before serving whisk the remaining cream by hand with the Malteser vodka until it is the thickness of thick clotted cream (careful not to over whisk)
• Remove the cheesecake from the tin and smooth the cream over the top
• Decorate with the chocolate holly leaves and cranberries

I had a practice run at the weekend and the husband said that this is by far the best cheesecake that I've ever made & he's ever tasted, I just hope that the Selfridges chef thinks the same and I don't have to endure any 'Paul Hollywood spitting out into his hand' style moments.

I also need to thank the lovely Brian from my local nursery who supplied me with the Holly for the photos, who incidentally said that this is the best cheesecake he's every tasted too!

Wish me luck.............

I was provided with the hamper to enable me to take part in this challenge