White Chocolate Cheesecake with Berries

Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 180c degrees.
2. In a food processor with a steel blade blend flour, almond meal, sugar, butter and lemon zest until mixture is crumbly.
3. Add the egg yolk and milk and blend just until large chunks of dough form.
4. Cool the dough in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
5. On a floured work surface roll out the dough about 3-4 cm thick, and cut out a 24 cm circle. Place it on the bottom of the pan.
6. Pierce the dough with a fork and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

White chocolate and cheese filling:

1. Lower the oven temperature to 160c degrees, and place at the bottom of the oven a pan with boiling water.
2. In a large bowl, whisk cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and cornstarch.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream, and once boiling pour onto white chocolate.
4. Mix until you get a smooth white chocolate ganache. Add vanilla and blend.
5. Add the white chocolate mixture into the cheese mixture and mix well.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring between additions, until mixture is smooth.
7. Pour the mixture over the baked crust and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cake is set on the edges but still slightly soft in the center.
8. Cool for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator and extracted from the pan.

Berries:

1. Put berries, sugar and lemon juice in a small pot and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
2. In a separate bowl mix cornstarch and water until smooth and then add into the berries, stirring until incorporated. Continue to cook while stirring for 3-4 minutes until it thickens a little.
3. Cool slightly at room temperature and pour over the cake.

Italian meringue:

1. Put egg whites and salt in the bowl of a mixer with a whipping-attachment
2. In a small saucepan cook sugar and water and bring to a boil.
3. Cook over high heat and when the syrup reaches a temperature of 105c degrees begin to whip the egg whites on medium speed. If you do not have a thermometer you can tell the syrup reached the correct temperature when big bubbles in the liquid become a bit smaller.
4. Continue to cook the syrup until it reaches a temperature of 115-117c degrees and remove from heat.
5. Increase the whipping speed to high and pour in the syrup in a thin stream while whipping.
6. Whip for about 10 minutes until you get a stable glossy meringue.
7. Transfer the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with 2 cm round piping tip and drizzle mounds of meringue over the cake.
8. Burn the meringue using a blowtorch, decorate with fresh berries and serve.