Aussie Cheesecake

Serves 8 to 12            

Ingredients:

For the crust:

12 ounces/350 g digestive biscuits or biscotti
1 stick/113 g butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

Two 8-ounce/227-g packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup/150 g granulated sugar
½ cup/125 g sour cream
2 large egg yolks
6 large egg whites
8 ounces/225 g Australian chocolate-covered caramel biscuits (such as Arnott's Tim Tams / Penguins) and chocolate-covered honeycomb candy bars (such as Violet Crumble), coarsely chopped
Whipped heavy cream, for serving

Method:

To make the crust:

Place the biscuits or biscotti in a food processor or blender and blitz until fine crumbs form. Slowly mix in the melted butter to form a wet sandy texture. 

Press the crumbs onto the bottom of a 9-inch-/23-cm-diameter springform cake pan. Line the sides of the cake pan with parchment paper. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filing.

To prepare the cheesecake:

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy and no lumps remain. Beat in 1/2 cup/100 g of sugar then the sour cream. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks one by one, constantly beating to blend well. Stir in two-thirds of the chopped candy bars. In a separate large bowl and using the electric mixer with clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup/50 g of sugar until stiff peaks form.

Carefully fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.  Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 25 minutes or until the cheesecake has puffed and is set around the outer 1 inch/2.5 cm while the center moves slightly when the cake is gently shaken. The cheesecake will firm up as it cools.

Transfer the cheesecake to a rack and cool completely, then cover and refrigerate the cheesecake until it is cold.

To serve the cheesecake:

Remove the pan sides and parchment paper from the cheesecake. Cut the cheesecake into wedges and transfer the wedges to plates.  Top with the whipped cream, sprinkle with the remaining candies and serve.