Name: Green Tea Cheesecake
Total time: 30 minutes plus 2 hours refrigeration
Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients: 150g biscuits (I use malt biscuits), crushed; 35g butter, melted; Sesame seeds; 250g cream cheese; 60g sugar; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 100g plain yoghurt; 1 cup cream, whipped; 3 tablespoons gelatine powder, dissolved in 50ml warm water; 1 teaspoon matcha powder, plus 1/4 teaspoon extra

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Photo by HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited

We drink green tea all the time, at home or in restaurants, and it is an essential part of the Japanese culture. Matcha is a type of green tea often used in the formal tea ceremony, but it is also used in a number of Japanese desserts. It doesn't give a strong tea flavour but creates a nice colour and slight dry tartness at the end of the palate. This cake is very light and refreshing compared to many New York- style cheesecakes.

Recipe information

Total Time
30 minutes plus 2 hours refrigeration
Yield
8 Servings

Ingredients

150g biscuits (I use malt biscuits), crushed

35g butter, melted

Sesame seeds

250g cream cheese

60g sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

100g plain yoghurt

1 cup cream, whipped

3 tablespoons gelatine powder, dissolved in 50ml warm water

1 teaspoon matcha powder, plus 1/4 teaspoon extra

Preparation

Step 1
Mix biscuits and butter and press into base of a 24 cm round cake tin. Spread evenly and press with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and refrigerate to firm up.
Step 2
Mix together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and yoghurt until smooth. Mix in whipped cream. Add dissolved gelatine and mix very gently.
Step 3
Pour half mixture into cake tin over biscuit base. Spread with a rubber spatula and return to fridge.
Step 4
Mix matcha powder with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Pour into remaining half of cheesecake filling and mix well. Pour gently into the tin, keeping 1 tablespoon of filling mixture to use for decoration. Use rubber spatula to spread and make a flat surface.
Step 5
Add 1/4 teaspoon extra matcha powder to the 1 tablespoon filling to darken it for decoration.
Step 6
Use a teaspoon to draw lines on the cheesecake with the darker matcha mix. Use chopsticks to drag horizontal lines and make patterns, as shown in the picture. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.