Caramel and macadamia cheesecake (Brett McGregor)
This caramel and macadamia cheesecake is a luxurious dessert combining a buttery digestive biscuit base, creamy vanilla filling and crunchy macadamia nuts. The Thermomix grinds the biscuits and nuts evenly, melts the butter gently and blends the cream cheese mixture into a silky, lump-free batter for restaurant-quality results at home.
About this recipe
Caramel and macadamia cheesecake with the Thermomix TM7 is one of those show-stopping dessert recipes that tastes far harder than it is to make. Inspired by Brett McGregor, it layers a buttery digestive biscuit and macadamia crumb base under a velvety cream cheese, sour cream and vanilla filling, finished with caramel and extra nuts. The all-in-one kitchen machine takes care of every stage: the biscuits and macadamias are ground to an even crumb in seconds, the butter melts gently without burning, and the eggs, cream cheese and pouring cream blend into a lump-free batter with no hand-mixing required. Because everything happens in one bowl, there is minimal washing up, leaving you free to prepare the caramel. Serve it chilled at a birthday, dinner party or festive weekend lunch, and guests will assume you bought it from a patisserie.
Preparation tips
- Tip 1: Use room-temperature cream cheese before blending, as cold cheese leaves small lumps in the cheesecake batter. Let it sit out while you grind the digestive biscuits and macadamia nuts for the base.
- Tip 2: Bake the cheesecake in a springform tin wrapped with foil and placed in a water bath; the gentle steam prevents cracks and gives the cream cheese filling its signature silky, custard-like texture.
- Tip 3: Scatter the macadamia nuts over the caramel only just before serving so they keep their crunch. Leftover slices keep well covered in the fridge for up to three days.
Recipe variations
- Variation 1: Make it gluten-free by swapping the digestive biscuits for gluten-free oat or almond biscuits in the base, keeping the same quantity of melted butter and adding a handful of chopped macadamias for extra structure.
- Variation 2: For a festive Christmas version, add a pinch of cinnamon and ground ginger to the biscuit base and drizzle the finished cheesecake with salted caramel and crushed roasted macadamias for a show-stopping holiday dessert.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Precise weighing - The integrated scale of the TM7 weighs the caster sugar and cream cheese directly into the bowl to the gram. [weighing]
- Even grinding - The Thermomix grinds the digestive biscuits and macadamia nuts into a uniform crumb for a firm base. [grinding]
- Gentle melting - The TM7 melts the unsalted butter with soft heat control so the biscuit base binds without scorching. [heating]
- Silky blending - The Thermomix mixes the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs into a lump-free cheesecake batter in seconds. [mixing]
- Perfect whipping - With the butterfly whisk, the TM7 whips the pouring cream and icing sugar into soft peaks for the topping. [whipping]
Ingredients
- digestive biscuits
- unsalted butter
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- caster sugar
- natural vanilla extract
- eggs
- macadamia nuts
- pouring (whipping) cream
- icing sugar