Velvety pistachio cheesecake

base:
290 g butter cookies or a mix of mutter and oat cookies
130 g melted butter
pinch of sea salt

filling:
145 g 100% pistachio paste
220 g creme fraiche 15% or sour cream
710 g cream cheese, room temp
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
pinch of tsp sea salt
280 g white caster sugar
30 g cornstarch
3 medium eggs, room temp


Heat the oven to 200° C from the top and bottom. Place the rack one level below the middle. Line the bottom of a 23 cm diameter cake pan with parchment paper. Prepare the base. 

Mix pistachio paste with cream. 

Process the cookies so they are quite fine and place them in a bowl. Add the butter and mix. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and on the sides. (As little as possible).

Place cream cheese, salt, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat for 1-2 mins. Add starch and sugar and beat for another 2 mins until blended. Beating on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating each one in well and scraping down the sides. Turn the mixer to low, and add sour cream and pistachio mix. Mix everything well at low speed just until fully incorporated, not longer.

Pour the filling into the pan. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 140° and bake for 1 h. The middle must be a bit jiggly. Remove from the oven and let cool until it reaches room temp. Only then, not earlier, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 12 hours for the flavors to meld.

When the cake is cool, serve it like it is or spread it with a thick layer of sour cream or creme fraiche epaisse. I decorated it with pure creme fraiche, which is very thick.