Each year, Valentine’s Day presents many opportunities for couples to show one another just how much they care. One of the ways they often do so is through homemade dinners and desserts in which love and affection are two of the most vital ingredients. Few people will turn away a bite of something sweet come February 14th, but some may have a hankering for something other than chocolate or strawberries. Atholl Brose is a fifteenth-century Scottish drink that is similar to the popular Irish cream liqueurs. When mixed into a no-bake cheesecake batter, it can be the perfect flavoring for a creamy dessert few can resist. Enjoy “Atholl Brose Cheesecake” from “The Hebridean Baker at Home” (Sourcebooks) courtesy of Conneach Macleod.
Atholl Brose Cheesecake
Serves 4 to 6
For the Atholl Brose
250 ml (1 cup) whiskey
70 grams (2 1⁄2 ounces) oats
3 teaspoons honey
40 ml (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) double cream
For the cheesecake
100 grams (31⁄2 ounces) butter
250 grams (9 ounces) digestive biscuits, crushed
600 grams (1 pound, 5 ounces) cream cheese
35 ml (2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) Atholl Brose
100 grams (31⁄2 ounces) icing sugar
300 ml (11⁄4 cup) double cream
100 grams (31⁄2 ounces) dark chocolate, grated
To make the Atholl Brose: Pour the whiskey over the oats in a bowl and rest under a clean dish towel for 24 hours. The next day, use a muslin (or cotton dish towel) to squeeze out the whiskey into a fresh bowl. Be sure to get every last drop! You can discard the oats. Warm your honey for 10 seconds in the microwave or over low heat in a small pan, and whisk it into the Brose mix. Add your cream and whisk again. Let it rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
To make the cheesecake: First, melt the butter in a pan, remove frm heat and add the crushed digestive biscuits. Mix well until the biscuits have absorbed all the butter. Press into the bottom of a lined 18 cm (7-inch) springform tin. Place in the fridge and allow to set for an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Lightly whip the cream cheese, then beat in the Atholl Brose and icing sugar. Whip the cream and fold in along with the grated chocolate. When smooth, spoon evenly onto the biscuit base. Refrigerate and allow to set for a further 2 hours, then serve with a dram of Atholl Brose.
Note: Double cream is challenging to find outside of the United Kingdom. Therefore, an approximate substitution can be made by mixing 1 cup of heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of buttermilk in a lidded jar. Shake for 1 minute. Wrap the jar in a towel and allow it to sit at room temperature for 12 hours until thickened.; otherwise, use heavy cream, which has a slightly lower fat content, in the recipe.
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