Strawberry Cheesecake

Linking on from my earlier post for my Ferrero Rocher cheesecake, here's my recipe for the classic strawberry cheesecake. This one just as the Ferrero Rocher will easily serve 10 -12 people and is definitely a quick and simple crowd pleaser


You will need :

130g butter 

350g digestive biscuits 

250g cream cheese*

280ml double cream 
100g white chocolate 
1 Punnet of strawberries 
1 punnet of raspberries 
white chocolate curls to decorate (optional)

• Start by melting your butter and then set aside. Crush the biscuits either in a food processor or using a plastic food bag & rolling pin to crush.
• Pour the crushed biscuits & melted butter in a bowl and combine together. Press the crushed biscuits into a deep 9 inch round loose bottom tin and smooth out evenly with the back of a spoon or a plastic spatula. Pop in the fridge to chill 
• Melt the white chocolate either in a microwave in short 30 second bursts or in a bowl over a pan of simmering hot water- making sure the water doesn't come into contact with the bowl. Once melted, set aside to cool
• Using a freestand mixer or electric hand whisk, whisk the double cream until you get a stiff peak consistency. Add in the cream cheese and whisk for another minute or so till its all smoothly combined together.
• Take the cooled melted chocolate and half of the raspberries and add to the cream cheese mix and stir through with a spatula or metal spoon
• Pour the cream cheese and raspberry mix onto the biscuit base, and level it off - i normally use a breakfast knife .
• Cut the tops of the strawberries off, and cut them either into halves or quarters and arrange a over the top of the cream cheese, leaving a little room in the middle to fill with the remaining raspberries. For a finishing touch sprinkle over some white chocolate curls.
• Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight)before serving to allow the cream cheese to firm up. 
• To serve, either remove the cheesecake about 15 minutes before serving from the fridge or cut through the cheesecake using a hot knife (dip the knife in hot water and dry with kitchen paper)   as the base should be quite firm due to the cold set biscuit base.

* make sure you use full fat cheese as low fat just won't set as well as full fat would and you'll end up with a runny cheesecake. I love to use a mix of marscapone & philadelpia - 125g each