Speculoos Cheesecake with Cinnamon Swirl

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 200 g speculatius biscuits
• 100 g butter, liquid
• 600 g cream cheese
• 200 g low-fat curd cheese
• 170 g sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 egg(s)
• 150 ml cream
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
• e.g. berries, fresh

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 4 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes; Total time approx. 5 hours 20 minutes

Finely crumble the speculatius biscuits and mix with the melted butter, then press the mixture evenly into a 26 cm diameter springform pan to form a firm base. Place the pan in the oven at 180°C (fan oven) for about 5-10 minutes. Mix the cream cheese with the low-fat quark, sugar, cornstarch, egg, cream, and lemon juice. Divide the batter into two portions and add the cinnamon to one half. You can also mix in other spices such as tonka bean sugar, vanilla, or lemon zest if desired. Pour the two cream cheese mixtures alternately onto the speculatius biscuit base and shake the pan gently to ensure the mixture is evenly distributed. This will create the swirl effect in the cake. Bake the cake at 180°C (fan oven) for about 60 minutes, until the top is firm and lightly golden brown. Turn off the oven and slightly open the oven door to allow the cake to cool completely. Then refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Garnish with fresh berries and mint, if desired. A dusting of powdered sugar will make the blueberries look like they’ve been covered in snow: perfect for winter and, of course, the Christmas season.