White peach & amaretto cheesecake

White peach & amaretto cheesecake

White peaches are hitting their peak, so make the most of them in this luscious cheesecake dessert!

Ingredients: 
4 white peaches, halved, stoned
110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar, plus extra, to dust
60ml (1/4 cup) amaretto (see top tips)
100g amaretti biscuits (see top tips)
150g Arnott's Marie biscuits
150g unsalted butter
250g firm ricotta (see top tips)
Method: 
  1. Roughly chop 2 peaches, then place in a saucepan with 2 tbs sugar, 1 tbs amaretto and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes or until peaches are soft. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving syrup. Transfer peaches to a second bowl and set aside to cool. Stir 1 tbs amaretto into syrup, then reserve syrup to serve.
  2. Grease a 20cm springform cake pan, then line base and side with baking paper. Process all biscuits in a food processor to crumbs. Melt 125g butter, add to biscuit mixture, then stir to combine. Transfer mixture to prepared pan, then press over base and halfway up the side. Using a straight-edged glass, press side to form an even shell. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until biscuit shell is firm.
  3. Preheat oven to 170°C. Process ricotta, mascarpone, lemon zest, vanilla and remaining 75g (1/3 cup) sugar in a food processor until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, processing until well combined after each addition. Add cooked peaches and remaining 1 tbs amaretto, and stir until combined.
  4. Pour mixture into biscuit shell in pan. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until edge is set and centre moves just slightly when pan is shaken. Turn oven off and leave cake in oven with the door held ajar with a wooden spoon for 2 hours or until cool enough to handle. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.
  5. To make caramelised peaches, cut remaining 2 peaches into wedges and dust with extra sugar. Melt remaining 25g butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook peaches for 2 minutes each side or until caramelised. Cool.
  6. Top cake with caramelised peaches. Drizzle with reserved syrup to serve.