Sweet Potato Cheesecake Salted Caramel Coconut
My sister recently went a trip to Vanuatu. This paradise of white beaches and luxurious hotels, is also home to a very ancient and almost untouched culture. Yes, the people are happy and delightful, but they are also amongst some of the most underprivileged on earth.
She’s a nurse, my sister, and quite handy to travel with, as her knowledge of medicines and treatments is extensive. She is also a person who seems to attract all kinds of mishaps on her travels. A group of her nursing colleges, got together to do a volunteer trip for two weeks to Vanuatu. Travelling out to some of the remote islands to lend medical assistance. The word is that there is virtually no health care and no hygiene and some of the things they encountered were very confronting, including having to amputate an infected limb.
Did I tell you she is scared of flying? After arriving in Port Vila, they were driven by jeep to a grass airstrip where they boarded a tiny plane, seating 8 people. I am so glad she went with work people because she can scream quite loudly. After the short trip the plane landed once again on a grassy strip of an outer Island. All on board piled out and quickly walked across the grass with their packs and equipment. My sister got out of the craft lagging behind because the wheels on her bag kept getting caught in the grass of the airstrip. Now twilight, and after a torturous day of travel, she looked up from her labours to see a cow looking at her from a few feet away. She had only just greeted it kindly when it started to chase her. I dare say the screaming frightened the cow enough for it to run off the airstrip, leaving my sister to run in the other direction. There was still another couple of hours worth of journey left for the night…..but that’s another story.
After this long hard day they were greeted with Taro cooked in Coconut milk, over a fire. My Sweet Potato Cheesecake, Salted Caramel Coconut would probably have been better.
Sweet Potato Cheesecake, Salted Caramel Coconut
Ingredients
Crumb base
- 200 gm biscuits I used N.Z Griffins "Krispie" biscuits but butternut or rice cookies would be fine too
- 80 gm melted butter
- 20 gm caster sugar 1 Tablespoon
Filling
- 250 gm cream cheese 1 x packet
- 200 gm sweet potato cooked cooled 1 cup
- 125 gm brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 125 ml coconut cream coconut evaporated milk 1/2 cup
- vanilla
- 1.5 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Salted Caramel
- 120 gm castor sugar
- 20 ml water 1 Tablespoon
- 50 ml coconut evaporated milk or coconut cream
- 100 gm unsalted butter
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- ** Note you will need cooked sweet potato for the recipe .
Line a 20 cm/ 9 in spring form tin or 6 individual moulds. Set the oven to 180 C/ 360 F to begin.
- Crush the biscuits in a food processor and add the sugar and melted butter. Push this into the base of 6 individual tins or the single springform tin. Bake till lightly coloured or approximately 8 -10 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 160 C/ 320 F
- Put all of the filling ingredients into the food processor and blitz till smooth. Pour into the cooled case/s. For small sized cheesecakes bake 30 mins, but ( till they just feel firm, but still wobble a bit Bake approximately approximately 40-50 minutes for the single tin. Or till it still wobbles a bit ( just set)
- Cool in the fridge overnight or as long as possible before unmoulding. Run a warm knife around the cheesecake before removing the spring form or gently removing the lining paper.
Topping...have everything ready to use before you start.
- Place the sugar for the topping into a small saucepan with the water. Turn the heat onto medium, and swirl a couple of times to spread the water around. Try not to stir as it will crystalize, swirl if you need to. Let the sugar dissolve and turn a lovely golden brown colour . Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut cream( be careful). Stir till incorporated then gradually stir in the butter till well combined. Add a pinch of salt. Taste
- Cool this before spooning onto the tops of the cheesecake. Set in the fridge
- Decorate with toasted coconut if you like.
Your sister sounds like an awesome person, to overcome her fears and step on a plane to volunteer!
These cheesecakes look wonderful, I love that they are individual.
Yes Eva, she is a gem.
These look gorgeous, although I also would have loved to try the taro in coconut milk 🙂
Great choice of vegetable. I would have never thought of combining with coconut, ginger and cinnamon. Does this mean I can skip my vegies and go straight to dessert?
What gorgeous looking cheesecakes! I’d love one with a cup of tea 🙂
what an interesting blend of flavors! i make a sweet potato casserole that has coconut in the streusel topping, but throwing caramel into the mix makes this super appealing. 🙂
I always love your stories, Tania, and this one was no exception. And if you wouldn’t mind posting me one of those gorgeous little cheesecakes? Thanks so much! 😉
Ha that would be great wouldn’t it…?
What a great combo, I want some of these for breakfast!
I always take a pill before flying- I’m not scared, just not at ease 🙂
This recipe has it all–so many favorite ingredients rolled into one. And a great travel story as well!
Great idea! Who knew sweet potato was so versatile? Beautiful photos, too.
You and your sister should write a travel guide! You’ve had the most interesting travel experiences of anyone I know. Cows meandering across landing strips? That’s not something you see in Sydney. What beautiful looking cheesecakes, Tania. These are gorgeous and so perfectly made and then you have photographed them so well – you are full of talents – and good stories! xx
Thanks Charlie thats interesting coming from you the queen of stories
What a story to end with these little cheesecakes 😉 They sound like a fabulous combination of flavours!
Thanks JJ, love your Cauliflower Cooffee and Caramel cakes too!
You forgot to mention that was the easy part of the trip !!!haha the boats were much more scary. The cheesecake looks scrumdidilyumptous ….i do hope there will be a few random ones lying around when I visit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
o my … these look sinfully delicious! I wish I could have one now for the breakfast!
Thanks baking Queen, I am sure I could send you one
These look so delicious and cute Tania! Do you have a fear of flying too? I don’t (thankfully) but I feel for those that do.
No fear of flying for me , but its hard to take your mind off the flying with the state of food on planes these days
What cute and delicious little cheesecakes!
Ooh Tania that does sound indulgent. Your poor sister! I can just picture those rickety little air strips and a woman being chased by a cow!
OMG! These mini cheesecakes look AMAZING 🙂 I’ve never thought of combining all three things that I love together ~ sweet potato, coconut and caramel YUMMM I’ve booked marked this! gonna try 🙂