White Chocolate Cheesecake….

This recipe looks and tastes impressive but it’s actually very simple to make and requires no baking.  Your family and friends, however, will think you’ve spent hours in the kitchen preparing it so don’t disillusion them!  I found the original of this recipe on the internet a couple of years ago, so many thanks to the author whose identity unfortunately I do not know.  I have tweaked the recipe a little to suit our tastes, for example my version contains much more chocolate than the original!  Altogether you will need 400g of white chocolate.

The finished cheesecake will serve 8 people.

I use a springform tin, 23cm diameter x 5cm deep, and line it with foil so that the finished cheesecake is easy to remove.

For the base you will need:

150g of digestive biscuits

50g of butter, melted

nb. if you prefer a deeper biscuit crust, use 200g of biscuits & 70g of butter

• place the biscuits into a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin
• tip the crushed biscuits into a bowl, add the melted butter and mix everything together well
• pour the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin and gently press it down to evenly coat the bottom. Don’t press it down too firmly otherwise the cheesecake base will be too solid and difficult to cut

For the cheesecake filling you will need:

300g of white chocolate

200g of full fat crème fraîche

400g of full fat cream cheese

¼ of a teaspoon of vanilla extract

• break the white chocolate into a microwave-proof bowl and melt the chocolate in 4 x 30 second bursts on full power. Stir the chocolate well and put it to one side to cool
• put the crème fraîche, cream cheese and vanilla extract together into a bowl and, using either a wooden spoon or a hand whisk, beat them together until the mixture is smooth and creamy

• add the cooled white chocolate to the mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold the chocolate into the mixture until it is well blended
• tip the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base in the prepared tin and use a spoon to smooth the surface

For the topping you will need:

100g of white chocolate , grated

• pour the grated chocolate on to the surface of the cheesecake
• using the back of a spoon, gently press the chocolate into the surface of the cheesecake a little
• put the finished cheesecake into the fridge to chill for at least two hours before removing from the tin

As you might imagine, this cheesecake is extremely rich and calorific! However, for an occasional treat or if you have visitors, it has the advantages of being quick and easy to prepare and does not require baking. Why not indulge yourself?