Chin chin mango cheesecake recipe
This cheesecake is a concentrated dose of tropicality, thanks to its velvety-smooth mango and aromatic coconut filling. But that’s not all. Its base of chin chin (crispy pieces of deep-fried dough, so-called because of the sound they make, like ‘munch munch’) is so addictive that you should cook an extra batch just for snacking – and to save your cheesecake crust from nibbles.
Chin chin comes in all manner of shapes, from chunks to snakes to curls. Let your creativity run riot, as long as the chin chin is small enough to cook through. The same goes for the toppings: you can experiment and there are some suggestions in the recipe. You can also knock up this winning dessert in no time using shop-bought chin chin.
Note soaking and chilling isn't included in the timings.
Ingredients
For the chin chin- 400 ml can coconut milk, chilled
- 4 tsp coconut oil, melted
- 370 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 140 g granulated sugar
- 0.1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 amount of vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 amount of chin chin (see recipe for measurements)
- 2 tbsp agave or maple syrup
- 100 ml coconut oil
- 500 g frozen mango flesh
- 400 ml coconut cream
- 400 g cashews, soaked overnight
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2.5 tbsp cocoa butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 7 dates, pitted
- 1 tbsp agave or maple syrup
- 1 handful fresh raspberries
- 1 handful fresh blueberries
Details
- Cuisine: British-Nigerian
- Recipe Type: Cheesecake
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 45 mins
- Cooking Time: 15 mins
- Serves: 10
Step-by-step
To make the chin chin
- Start by scooping out 160g/5.5oz of the solid part of the coconut milk (you can use the liquids for something else). Mix it with the coconut oil in one bowl, and mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Then combine both and knead into a dough.
- Dust your work surface with flour. Break off 80g/3oz of the dough, and roll it into several long rolls, around 5mm/0.25in thick, then chop into 0.5cm/0.25in blocks. Roughly chop the rest of the dough – it doesn’t need to be perfect as it will be crumbled for the cheesecake base.
- Half-fill a large frying pan with vegetable oil and place over a high heat. Line a tray with kitchen paper.
- Once the oil is hot, deep-fry the finely cut dough pieces until golden, turning halfway, and transfer to the tray. Continue with the remaining ‘rough’ dough, frying in batches. Transfer this to the lined tray too to drain, but keep the two sets separate. Don’t worry if the larger chunks break up a little when frying.
For the cheesecake
- Put the rough batch of chin chin in a food processor with the syrup and coconut oil. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Blitz until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Line the base and sides of an 18cm/7in springform baking tin with baking parchment, then press the blitzed chin chin mixture into the bottom of it. Put it in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.
- Blend all the filling ingredients (minus the syrup) in a blender or food processor until thick and creamy. Add the agave (or maple) syrup and taste, adding more sweetness if needed.
- Scoop the filling onto the cheesecake base, gently hitting the tin to help it flatten and release air bubbles.
- Now for the toppings. Scatter the reserved (finely made) chin chin and the fresh berries on top of the filling, in a crescent moon shape, hugging the top corners of the cheesecake. Extra toppings could include crushed and dried hibiscus petals, fresh strawberries, lemon zest and quartered lemon slices. Whatever you include, try to keep all the garnishes within the crescent shape.
- Place in the freezer to set for 4 hours, then transfer to the fridge for 1 hour before serving. Cut with a warm and clean knife for a smooth slice.
This recipe is from Afro Vegan by Zoe Alakija. Published by Hoxton Mini Press.
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