So here, my friends, is my recipe for a dessert that my dad made for me over the Easter. I say “my recipe” because: A) I’m writing it out and B) I forgot the actual specifics of the recipe as soon as he’d told me, and didn’t write it down.
So I’ve basically filled in the gaps, and, to be honest, this way has ended up with a more cheesecakey (perfectly adequate adjective) filling. I’m going to call that a 100% win. So make this deliciously rich cheesecake and give it to anyone with a sweet tooth, and watch on baited breath for the same head-swelling reviews I’ve gotten!
Ingredients:
250 g of digestive biscuits
75 g of butter
50 g of fine brown sugar
250 g of mascarpone (for a healthier alternative, follow a different recipe)
150 g of light cream cheese spread
50g of crème fraiche
100 g of crunchy peanut butter (Christ I get through so much of this stuff)
200 g of white chocolate
300 ml double cream
salt
- First step is to weigh out 250g of digestive biscuits then place them into a big plastic bag, acquire a weighty cylindrical object (such as a rolling pin) and then smash and smash and smash. Once you’ve battered it in to small pieces, roll your object of choice over the bag in order to reduce the crumbs to a uniform (almost) powder.
- Melt 75g of butter in a saucepan then add in the digestive powder and 50g of brown sugar, then stir like hell until the crumbs are uniform, showing that the butter is even.
- Get a cake tin (mine is 20 cm across) then slightly wet the edges and base. Add the digestive base mixture into it and press down until very little further compression occurs and place the tin in the fridge to cool.
- Fill a saucepan with boiling water and suspend a mixing bowl in the rim (the bottom of the bowl should be slightly above the water level), then break up your 200g of white chocolate and place it into the mixing bowl to melt. Try not to eat it all while this happens – I put extra chocolate in because I know I’m a fat bastard with no self control.
- In a separate mixing bowl, pour the double cream and whisk until it has just become solid.
- Once the white chocolate has melted, add in the peanut butter and a pinch of salt and then mix until combined. The salt intensifies your flavours; the last thing you want is a boring, bland waste of time. After this, add in the mascarpone and also mix until combined; then do the same with the light cream cheese and crème fraiche. Once all of these have combined, continue stirring until the mixture has warmed slightly and is a thick fluid.
- Pour the chocolate, cheese and peanut butter mixture into the whipped cream and fold in until the contents of the bowl have completely combined. Now remove the cake tin from the fridge and wet the inner sides of the tin above the biscuit base. Then pour in the filling you’ve just prepared. Spread out the filling to make it even and place back in the fridge for 2 hours and 30 minutes or overnight until set. Then remove from the tin and enjoy a slice of this supremely smooth and flavoursome treat (I emphasise ‘treat’, do not eat the whole cheesecake… or do, then let me know how far through you got you absolute mentalist).
You’re welcome.
Jake Tenn
Featured image: Jake Tenn
