Kapiti Mascarpone Vanilla Cheesecake

Ingredients:

150g crystallized ginger, roughly chopped

300g vanilla biscuit crumbs

100g Mainland Unsalted Butter, melted

560g Kapiti Mascarpone

¾c caster sugar

4 gelatine sheets

330ml Anchor Cream, whipped

2 egg whites, whisked to soft peaks

2 vanilla pods

200ml port

50ml red wine

250g caster sugar

6 rhubarb sticks, cut into 8cm batons

Method:

Line a 24cm X 30cm high baking tin with cling film. Mix the ginger and biscuit crumbs together with the Mainland Unsalted Butter until well combined, place evenly into a baking tray and refrigerate until set.

Gently work the sugar and Kapiti Mascarpone together by hand, scrape the seeds of the vanilla pod into the Kapiti Mascarpone and mix well, set aside.

Soften the gelatine in water, once soft, drain off excess water and dissolve the gelatine in the microwave, once cooled to room temperature fold the gelatine into the Kapiti Mascarpone mix.

Next gently fold the cream and then the egg whites into the Kapiti Mascarpone and pour onto the prepared base and refrigerate until set before serving.

Place the sugar, port and red wine into a saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce to a syrup consistency. Place cut rhubarb into the syrup and bring back to the boil, remove from heat and allow to cool.

To serve cheese cake cut into desired shape and serve with the port poached rhubarb and Kapiti Lemon Sorbet.

Produces:  10-12 servings.