His time has come. That’s what’s often said whenever 27-year-old pastry chef Miko Aspiras adds another milestone to his already-decorated career. From taking home the Gold and the Best of the Best awards at the Hong Kong Food Exposition (HOFEX) in May last year, to producing stellar plated desserts for Magnum Manila and Malaysia, the pastry expert has been attracting much deserved recognition for the way he has been rocking the industry with his ingenious ways.
The latest of which is his own brand, the Scout’s Honor. It’s a craft cookie and milk shop located at the newly opened Hole in the Wall in the Century City Mall that opened to such big expectations, and guess what? Chef Mikko didn’t fail. Yet another “his time has come” moment, two of his creations — his matcha and sesame cookie and the bamboo charcoal milk — are already getting social media buzz this early on.
But what many don’t know is that even before all these awards and acclaim, he’s already showed much promise back when he was in school. He beat more experienced seniors in an intra-school competition with his cheesecake.
It took him awhile, many attempts, and countless hours in the grocery aisle studying a recipe that he only found in a magazine before Miko finally baked a cake that he was proud to present. The cheesecake was his very first win, and the one that started a continuous streak of many. Here, the young and talented chef shares an evolved version of that winning pastry.
White Chocolate and Strawberry Fondue Cheesecake
Makes one 8-inch cake
Ingredients:
Dutch tea cookie crust :
110 grams Speculoos cookies, crushed finely
60 grams refined white sugar
75 grams unsalted cold butter, cubed
Cheesecake base :
3 whole eggs
6 yolks
250 grams cream
35 grams flour, sifted
1 kilo cream cheese
100 grams refined white sugar
melted chocolate
White chocolate creme anglaise:
100 ml heavy cream
100 ml milk
30 grams refined white sugar
3 egg yolks
100 grams melted white chocolate
Fresh strawberries, topping
1. Make the crust. Preheat oven to 320F. Spray bottom of cheesecake pan with canola oil or brush with melted butter. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together by crumbling with the use of your hands. Press the crust onto the bottom of the pan, making sure it is pressed firmly and evenly. Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is firm. Let cool on a wire rack. Set aside.
2. Make the cheesecake. Preheat oven to 284F. Place all eggs in one bowl. Set aside. In a saucepot under medium heat, simmer the cream, then stir in the flour using a whisk. Once combined, remove from heat and set aside. Using a planetary mixer paddle, mix the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs in 3 batches, making sure each is incorporated well after every addition. Mix in the warm cream and flour mixture. Finally, pour the cheesecake mixture onto prepared crust. Place the pan in a bigger baking tray. Pour water onto the tray until half way and bake bain marie for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until cheesecake is firm. Cool down to room temperature. Chill overnight.
3. Make the crème anglaise. In a medium sized saucepot over medium heat, simmer milk and cream. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Pour a quarter of the simmering liquid onto the egg mixture. Immediately whisk until the eggs are tempered. Pour the tempered eggs onto the pot of simmering liquid. Using a wooden spoon, stir until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Stir in white chocolate and take off heat. Cool down to room temperature, then chill until ready to use.
4. To finish the cheesecake, garnish with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Slice each cake and pour a generous amount of the white chocolate creme anglaise. Or you can also serve the cheesecake with a bowl of the creme anglaise on the side, dipping the strawberry and cheesecake pieces into it like a fondue.
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