Kitchen Garden Magazine

Raspberry & white chocolate cheesecake

MAKES 4 INDIVIDUAL CHEESECAKES

For the base
80g digestive biscuits
40g butter

For the filling
100g white chocolate
1 tbsp butter
100ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
drop of vanilla extract
150g soft cream cheese
100g raspberries plus a handful for
decorating

Special Equipment
Individual food rings (8cm/3in in diameter)
4 squares of greaseproof paper

Method

1 First prepare the biscuit base. Break up the biscuits and place into a freezer bag. Use a rolling pin to bash them into fine crumbs and then tip into a mixing bowl. Melt the butter and pour over the biscuit crumbs and mix thoroughly.
Place the food rings onto a baking tray, each with a square of greaseproof paper underneath. Divide the crumb mixture evenly between the food rings. Press the biscuit base down firmly and as tightly as you can. Carefully place the bases in the fridge to firm up while you prepare the filling.

2 Break the white chocolate up and place in a small heatproof bowl with the butter. Suspend over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

3 Pour the cream into a mixing bowl and add the vanilla extract and icing sugar. Whip together into soft peaks. Stir in the soft cream cheese, followed by the melted white chocolate. Combine until an even consistency. Fold in half of the raspberries – allowing them to break up and seep their vibrant juices and give the cheesecake a candy pink tinge. Fold in the rest of the raspberries and try to keep these whole.

4 Remove the food rings with biscuit base from the fridge and spoon in the cheesecake filling. Fill each right up to the top and then level off and smooth over with a palette knife for a neat finish. Return to the fridge to set (ideally leave overnight, but they will be ready after four hours if you’re in a rush).

5 To serve, carefully lift each food ring complete with greaseproof paper onto your serving plates. Slide the square of greaseproof away. To remove the food rings, dampen a clean cloth with warm water and wipe around the outside of the ring. With a firm tap onto the plate, your cheesecakes should slide out easily.
Decorate with a few more berries on the centre of each and finish with a light dredge of icing sugar. Once the rings have been removed, serve immediately (although they will hold their shape for up to hour in the fridge).