Recipe: Morello cherry cheesecake

This recipe adds fresh (or carefully defrosted) morello cherries to give bite to a luscious cheesecake (all with a drizzle of chocolate, of course).

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the base

• 200g digestive biscuits, made into crumbs
• 50g butter, melted
• 30g caster sugar

For the filling

• 200g cream cheese
• 170g caster sugar
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 eggs and one yolk
• 140ml soured cream
• 150g morello cherries
• 100g dark chocolate to drizzle on top

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c or fan 160c
2. Line the base of a 10cm spring form cake tin with parchment paper
3. For the base, melt the butter in a medium pan
4. Stir in the biscuit crumbs and sugar so the mixture is evenly moistened
5. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes
6. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling
7. For the filling- increase the oven temperature to 200c or fan180c
8. Beat the soft cheese in a mixer at a medium-low speed until creamy (about 2 minutes)
9. With the mixer on low, gradually add the sugar, then the flour and a pinch of salt, then add the vanilla and lemon
10. Whisk in the eggs and yolk, one at a time
11. Stir in the soured cream until smooth
12. Melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water Making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water
13. Brush the sides of the spring form tin with melted butter and put on a baking sheet. Pop the cherries into the tin and pour in the filling – if there are any lumps, sink them using a knife – the top should be as smooth as possible
14. Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the cake
15. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 110c or fan 90c and bake for 15 minutes more
16. If you gently shake the tin, the filling should have a slight wobble. Turn off the oven and open the oven door for a cheesecake that’s creamy in the centre, or leave it closed if you prefer a drier texture. Let cool in the oven for 2 hours. The cheesecake may get a slight crack on top as it cools
17. Run a round-bladed knife around the sides of the tin to loosen any stuck edges. Unlock the side, slide the cheesecake off the bottom of the tin onto a plate, then slide the parchment paper out from underneath.
18. Cool, serve and enjoy!