I don’t really suffer from FOMO (the fear of missing out) but when two of you favourite food writers, The Kate Tin and Bibby’s Kitchen make cheesecake in their Instant Pots, I have to do the same. And as it is Heritage Day also known as Braai Day in South Africa tomorrow, I decided to make a Peppermint Crisp Cheesecake.
Peppermint Crisp is a popular chocolate bar in South Africa and the Peppermint Crisp Tart is an age-old classic dessert that everyone seems to love and never grow tired of. It’s not fancy at all, and basically just whipped cream mixed with a tin of caramel treat (dulce de leche), spooned over a tennis biscuit base and topped with crushed peppermint crisp.
A while ago the manufacturers of Peppermint Crisp announced that they would discontinue one of the sizes the chocolate comes in. Only for it to become a rumour that the chocolate would be discontinued which created a storm on social media of upset citizens asking how are they supposed to make the tarts now.
There is a bit of a disclaimer with this recipe in that you do need an Instant Pot and that you need an 18cm loose-bottomed cake tin that will fit onto the trivet that fits into the Instant Pot, meaning you can take out easily once cooked. I only have a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin which still fits but the handles of the trivet can not stand up so the cake tin was on top of the trivet with its arms folded below. This meant I had to use two forks down the sides between the cake tin and the pot to maneuver it out without the cake tin falling over. One near miss but the cheesecake and I both managed to survive.
This peppermint crisp cheesecake is a classic cheesecake mix, the base is tennis biscuits as you would have with the tart and the topping has all the classic flavours of caramel and peppermint crisp. I whisked together a tin of caramel (dulce de leche) and creme fraiche with some lemon juice to cut the richness just a tad. The cheesecake should have a slight wobble once the cooking time is over. It will firm up and set as it cools down.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot and do not want to make a pressure cooker cheesecake, my suggestion is to use your favourite baked cheesecake recipe and add my peppermint crisp topping.
It looks delicious, it tastes pretty fantastic and has all the flavours of a classic South African peppermint crisp tart, so a job well done I think.
I wanted to let you know that my ceramic shop, Sul Clay, is now live and ready for you to explore. What started as a weekend pottery hobby, born from my search for beautiful props for my photography work, has grown into a second career. When I’m not behind the camera, I’m in the pottery studio making. I’d love for you to browse my latest collection, featuring striking vessels, elegant candle holders, playful floral-inspired petal plates, and dinner sets inspired by the local landscape. Shipping is available within the UAE, and international shipping can be arranged.
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Peppermint Crisp Cheesecake
Ingredients
- Base
- 200 g tennis biscuits
- 70 g butter melted
- Filling
- 250 g full fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 250 g ricotta at room temperature
- 90 g fine demerara sugar or castor sugar
- 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 20 ml corn flour
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 2.5 ml salt
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tin caramel treat
- 125 ml creme fraiche
- 10 ml lemon juice
- good pinch of salt
- 1 large slab Peppermint Crisp crushed into small pieces
Instructions
- Grease an 18cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking paper
- Wrap the outside of the tin with foil to ensure it is water-tight
- Place the biscuits in a processor. and blitz until fine
- Add the melted butter and pulse to combine
- Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and press firmly over the base using the bottom of a glass to spread the base evenly
- Place in the freezer while making the filling
- Place all the filling ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth
- Pour the filling into the biscuit-lined tin
- Pour 250ml (1 cup) water into the Instant Pot
- Place the trivet on the base and lower the cake tin carefully onto the trivet.
- Close the lid and select the Pressure Cook program on High pressure and set the timer for 30 minutes
- Once the cooking time is up, use the natural pressure release method for 10 minutes and then turn the Steam Release handle towards you to release any remaining steam
- The cheesecake should have a slight wobble in the middle
- Lift the cheesecake out and place on a wire rack
- Cool to room temperature then place in the fridge for several hours to set
- Place the caramel treat, creme fraiche, lemon juice and salt in a bowl and beat until smooth and thick
- Gently spoon on top of the cheesecake and spread to cover the top
- Sprinkle with the crushed peppermint crisp and serve with any left over caramel mixture
Here are a few more twists on Peppermint Crisp Tart I have made over the years Peppermint Crisp Ice Cream Cake
Need more peppermint crisp fixes? Check out this hugely popular Peppermint Crisp Mug Cake and this divine Peppermint Crisp Cheesecake.
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The Food Fox
Sep 23, 2019
Oh my word Hein!!!!!! I want it!!!!! Looks INCREDIBLE.
heinstirred
Sep 23, 2019
Dankie Ilse! Kan maar net nie verkeerd gaan met Peppermint Crisp nie! Geniet julle dag more
Rachel
Sep 23, 2019
Looks marvelous! I can’t wait to try it, thank you for sharing.
heinstirred
Sep 23, 2019
Thank you Rachel. Hope you enjoy it!
Anelda
Oct 25, 2024
Hallo Hein
Ek wil baie graag hierdie resep probeer, dit lyk na die perfekte kombinasie.
Kan ek hom in die oond ook gaarmaak?
Indien wel, moet ek hom in ‘n “water bath” sit en by watter temperatuur en vir hoe lank moet ek hom bak?
Groete Anélda
heinstirred
Oct 26, 2024
Hallo Anelda, hierdie resep is nie getoets vir ‘n oond nie so ek kan nie raad gee oor hitte en tyd nie. Ek stel voor jy gebruik ‘n resep getoets vir die oond en sit die peppermint crisp en caramel topping bo op. Geniet!