Baked Vanilla Cheesecake with Vanilla Honey

Ingredients:
75g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
350g cream cheese
4 tbs vanilla honey*
75ml thick cream
3 eggs, separated
25g plain flour
1 vanilla bean, split
50g brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
50g flaked almonds

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:
250g plain flour, sifted
110g unsalted butter, cubed, chilled
110g icing sugar
1 egg

To make pastry, place flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and process until the mixture forms a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 23 x 6cm loose-bottomed tart pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with rice or pastry weights and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights and return to oven for 5 minutes or until dry and crisp.

Cream butter and caster sugar in a mixer until pale. Add cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of honey, cream, egg yolks and flour. Scrape in vanilla seeds, discarding the bean, and mix well.

In a clean bowl, beat eggwhites until stiff, then gently fold into cheese mixture. Pour into pastry case. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and almonds. Sprinkle over cheesecake, then bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and allow to cool in the oven. Drizzle with extra honey, if desired.

* Available from gourmet food stores or substitute with regular honey.

Recipe adapted from taste.com.au