Rum and raisin is one of those ‘love or hate’ combinations. I have used spiced rum, which has delicious hints of vanilla and cinnamon. If you have only regular dark rum available, you can add a little ground cinnamon to the cheesecake mixture if you wish. Served with a buttery rum syrup and extra raisins, these are the perfect individual dessert cheesecakes. For an almond variation, you can replace the rum with amaretto and use amaretti biscuits/cookies in place of half of the digestive biscuits/graham crackers.
FOR THE FILLING
150 g/1 cup mixed raisins (golden, flame and green)
250 ml/1 cup spiced rum (or ordinary dark rum if not available)
250 g/generous 1 cup cream cheese
250 g/generous 1 cup ricotta
2 small eggs
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
60 g/⅓ cup caster/white sugar
FOR THE CRUMB BASES
150 g/5½ oz. chocolate digestive biscuits/graham crackers
75 g/5 tablespoons butter, melted
FOR THE RUM SAUCE
100 g/7 tablespoons butter
100 g/½ cup caster/white sugar
160 ml/⅔ cup double/heavy cream
a 12-hole loose-based cheesecake pan/muffin tin, greased
MAKES 12
The day before you wish to make the cheesecakes, put the raisins and the rum in a bowl together, cover and leave to soak overnight.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
To make the crumb bases, crush the chocolate biscuits/graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor or place in a clean plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Place a spoonful of the crumbs into each hole of the prepared cheesecake pan and press down firmly using the end of a rolling pin or the back of a small spoon.
For the filling, whisk together the cream cheese and ricotta in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, sugars, half of the rum-soaked raisins and 2 tablespoons of the soaking rum and whisk again until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the 12 holes of the pan so that they are almost full. (Depending on the size of your pan, you may not need all of the mixture.) Bake the cheesecakes in the preheated oven for about 20–25 minutes until set with a slight wobble in the centre. Leave to cool, then chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
For the rum sauce, simmer the butter and sugar together in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cream and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining rum and raisins, then set aside to cool.
Serve the cheesecakes chilled with a small jug/pitcher of rum sauce on the side for drizzling.