Come Dine With Me: Desert

For the final course of the evening, usually the most awaited of them all, I will be serving a baked cheesecake.

This recipe is fairly simple and is a guarunteed winner:

Ingredients for base:

• 200 g digestive biscuits
• 50 g (60 ml) sugar
• 100 g butter, melted

Method for base:

1. Place biscuits and sugar in food processor, and process to crumbs.
2. Add melted butter and mix well. Pour into base of greased spring form cake tin, and press down firmly to coat base and sides (go as far up the sides as you can). Place in fridge for about 1 hour.

Ingredients for filling:

• 1 kg creamed cottage cheese
• 210 g (250 ml) caster sugar
• 45 ml flour
• 5 eggs (at room temperature)
• 125 ml cream
• 15 ml grated lemon zest
• 5 ml vanilla essence

Method for filling:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 C.
2. Place cottage cheese, caster sugar and flour in a large bowl and beat well with an electric mixer for about 2 min. Scrape sides.
3. Add eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Add cream and beat for 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and vanilla and mix well.
4. Place chilled base on a baking tra. Pour cheesecake mixture onto base, then bake for 15 minutes.
5. Turn temperature down to 120 C, then bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool. To prevent the top from cracking, carefully run a small sharp knife around the sides to prevent the cake from sticking to the sides of the tin. When cool, place in the fridge to cool overnight, for best results.

Tip: Remember to slice the cake with a knife that is dipped in hot water, otherwise it might crumble.