hibiscus, raspberry and pomegranate cheesecake

Elegant hibiscus flowers taste of raspberries and rhubarb and make an elaborate looking decoration on top of this cheesecake, alongside pomegranate seeds and caramel sugar swirls. The flowers are sold in jars with hibiscus syrup to preserve them and it is this syrup that is used to flavour the cheesecake. Serve with hibiscus champagne to really wow your guests!

FOR THE CRUMB BASE

200 g/7 oz. digestive biscuits/graham crackers

100 g/7 tablespoons butter, melted

150 g/generous 1 cup raspberries

50 g/⅓ cup white chocolate chips

FOR THE FILLING

6 sheets leaf gelatine

300 g/1⅓ cups cream cheese

250 g/generous 1 cup ricotta

100 g/½ cup caster/white sugar

150 ml/⅔ cup sour cream

100 ml/generous ⅓ cup hibiscus syrup

2 tablespoons rose liqueur or syrup

FOR THE TOPPING

80 g/scant ½ cup caster/white sugar

12 hibiscus flowers

pomegranate seeds

a 23-cm/9-inch round springform cake pan, greased and lined

a silicone mat (optional)

SERVES 12

For the base, crush the 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. Press the buttery crumbs into the base of the prepared cake pan firmly using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the raspberries and chocolate chips over the base of the cheesecake.

For the filling, soak the gelatine leaves in water until they are soft.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar and sour cream until light and creamy.

Put the hibiscus syrup and rose liqueur in a heatproof bowl resting over a pan of simmering water and heat gently. Squeeze the water from the gelatine leaves and stir them into the warm syrup until the gelatine has dissolved. Carefully add the gelatine liquid to the cream cheese mixture, passing it through a sieve/strainer to remove any gelatine pieces that have not dissolved. Beat until the mixture is smooth and slightly thick, then pour over the base and chill in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours or overnight until set.

For the topping, put the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and heat until the sugar melts and starts to caramelize. (Watch the sugar carefully as it will easily burn as it heats up.) Do not stir, but gently swirl the caramel by shaking the pan. When the caramel is golden brown, remove from the heat and leave to stand for a minute or so until the caramel just starts to thicken. Using a fork drizzle spirals and zigzags of the caramel onto the silicone mat or a sheet of greaseproof/waxed paper to make pretty decorations. Leave to cool, then store in an airtight container until needed. The caramel will become sticky if exposed to the air, so it is best to make these only an hour or so before you wish to serve the cheesecake.

When you are ready to serve, arrange the hibiscus flowers in a ring on top of the cheesecake and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds. Decorate with the sugar decorations and serve immediately