Lemon Cheesecake
Introduction
I decided to try this cheesecake recipe after it was featured on 'Something for the weekend'. Ainsley Harriott is the chef who made it and came up with the original recipe so all credit to him! The recipe makes a delicious cheesecake that is very simple to make!
Ingredients
For the base
100g/4oz Butter (stork or baking fat works just as well and keeps costs down).
225g/8oz Digestive biscuits.
1½ tbsp Demerara Sugar.
For the filling
1 Lemon, zest and juice.
200g/8oz Full-fat plain cream cheese.
100g/4oz Caster sugar.
200g/8oz Crème fraiche.
For the blueberry topping (optional)
50g/2oz Caster sugar.
3 tbsp Lemon juice.
100g/4oz Blueberries.
1 tsp Arrowroot, mixed with 1 tsp water mixed into a smooth paste.
Method
Measure out your biscuits, sugar and place in a food processor and slightly process. Microwave the butter for 30 seconds or so until it turns all liquid. Add the butter to the slightly processed biscuits and process well until all the biscuits and now nice and small crumb sized.
Press the biscuit mixture into the base and sides of a 20cm/8inch springform cake tin (or a push out bottom tin). Chill this in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the filling, beat the lemon zest, cream cheese (trust me it will beat eventually) and sugar together in a bowl. Slowly beat in the lemon juice until the mixture is thick and creamy. Fold in the crème fraiche.
Spoon the filling mixture into the chilled biscuit base, smooth the top if you want the cheesecake to look smart. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for 2 hours. At this point you have a cracking lemon cheesecake! You don't need to do the next steps if you just want a simple tasty desert, however! Some people like a fruit sauce on top of their cheesecake, the next steps explain how to make it.
For the topping, heat the sugar and lemon juice over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the blueberries and continue to heat for a further 1-2 minutes. Stir in the arrowroot paste and cook for a further 30 seconds or until the mixture has thickened. Pour the blueberry topping into a small bowl and set aside to cool. Once cool, chill in the fridge.
To serve
Carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin, to do this I normally place a can of tinned fruit under the middle of the tin and gently tap it out. (if you used a springform tin this bit is easy). Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate and spoon (or pour) over the blueberry topping.
Enjoy!