Cheese.... cake?!

"A cake... of cheese?!"

Aah, good old Peter Kay, always cracks me up. Unfortunately for my waistline, I absolutely love cheesecake. I'm actually quite good at making them, though to be fair that's the nature of cheesecakes, rather than my technique. My Mam spotted this Mary Berry (her off The Great British Bake Off) recipe in one of her magazines, and like all recipes she wants to try, she gave it to me to whip up. So, like the good daughter I am, I set about making her a cheesecake. Totally selfless act, you understand...

To make Mary Berry's Lemon and Lime Cheesecake, you will need:

For the base:

100g digestive biscuits

50g unsalted butter

1 tablespoon golden caster sugar

For the filling:

250g mascarpone cheese

397g condensed milk (full fat or it won't set)

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice and zest of 2 limes

3 tablespoons lemon curd

8 individual cheesecake pots (I save the GU pudding pots and they are perfect for this) or you can make one big cheesecake in a springform tin.

Method:

1. Put the digestives in a plastic bag and annihilate them with a rolling pin until you've got crumbs. It helps to create a perfect texture if you picture the face of somebody annoying inside the bag.

2. Put the butter and caster sugar in a pan and melt slowly. Be careful with this as the butter will take only a split second to go from perfectly melted to burnt and bitter.

3. Pour the crumbs into the buttery mixture and stir to combine. Share the mixture between the 8 pots and press it in firmly. Put in the fridge or freezer to set whilst you make the filling.

4. Whisk the mascarpone and condensed milk in a bowl until smooth.

5. Add the lemon curd, lemon juice, lime juice and most of the lime zest (you want to reserve a little sprinkling for each cheesecake for a little decorative touch) and whisk again.

6. Get your pots from the fridge/freezer (I prefer the freezer as it sets quicker) and spoon in the cheese mixture, smoothing the top over once you've finished. I literally have enough mixture to fill the pots, so no leftover tasting sessions, sadly.

7. Adorn each cheesecake with a sprinkling of the remaining lime zest, then put in the fridge to set for a minimum of 2 hours. I like to leave it overnight as it is a bit firmer and creamier.

8. Remove a cheesecake from the fridge, grab a spoon, find a quiet, relaxing spot in the house and devour. Yummers! 

Do you like cheesecake? What is your favourite flavour?

xoxo