Orange and Poppyseed Cheesecake

This recipe arose from some experimentation with the cheesecake concept, which I have posted about in more detail here.

Ingredients:

• 250 g Nice* biscuits
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar (or large-grained raw sugar)
• 50 g poppyseeds
• 140 g unsalted butter, melted
• 500 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 C castor sugar
• 120 g white chocolate, melted
• 300 g sour cream
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 3  eggs
• 3  oranges
• 1 tbsp cornflour (for topping)
• 1/4 C castor sugar (for topping)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (for topping)

Directions:

1. Line a 22cm springform pan with baking paper. If using a smaller tin, or one with low sides, reduce quantity of filling accordingly.
2. Use a microplane† or grater to remove the zest from the oranges, and set aside. Juice the oranges, and set aside.
3. Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, crush the biscuits to a fine crumb. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind half the poppyseeds roughly then combine with the crushed biscuits, melted butter, demerara sugar and ~1 tbsp of the orange zest. Spread over the base and up sides of springform pan, pressing into place using a straight sided glass. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Using an electric beater, beat the cream cheese and the castor sugar (1/2 cup) together until light and smooth. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the sour cream, chocolate and 1 tbsp of cornflour. Beat until smooth. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the remaining poppyseed to a fine powder and add to the cream cheese mixture with half the orange juice and half the remaining orange zest. Beat until smooth.
5. Pour cream cheese mixture into the prepared cake tin. Mixture will expand slightly while cooking, and must only be filled to slightly below the top of the crumb. Bake for 50 minutes, or until cheesecake is set in the centre. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in it with the door slightly ajar to cool for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours to cool completely.
6. To make the topping, combine the remaining orange juice with the lemon juice and top up with water to 250 ml. Add 1 tbsp of this liquid to 1 tbsp of cornflour in a saucepan and stir until combined. Add the remaining liquid, 1/4C of castor sugar and remaining orange zest and stir to combine. Place on medium heat, stirring until it boils and starts to thicken. Allow to cool slightly then spread over the top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate until set, then serve.

* Nice biscuits are my preferred choice for use in cheesecakes, but any plain biscuit will work.

† While I'm generally against adding gimmicky gadgets to my kitchen, I have been thoroughly won over by microplanes, which are a similar to a fine grater, but can actually grate parmesan cheese quickly, remove the zest from an orange without clogging up, finely grate garlic without having to remove the skin and can be cleaned easily (and no, they don't sponsor me).