Ever wondered what royalty tastes like? Well, wonder no more! The mastermind behind the Duke and Duchess' of Sussex's wedding cake, Claire Ptak and Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of fast-food chain Leon, have shared all in their recipe book Leon Happy Baking and that includes THIS summer berry cheesecake - now we can all dine like Kings and Queens.
BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Serves 8-10 Preparation time 20 minutes, plus chilling and cooling Cooking time 45-60 minutes
“A rich, creamy cheesecake cut by a sharper fruit topping. Luxurious.”
INGREDIENTS:
• 125g/4½oz digestive biscuits
• 125g/4½oz ginger nut biscuits
• 90g/3¾oz unsalted butter
• 550g/1lb 3oz cream cheese
• 125g/4½oz caster sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
• 200g/7oz crème fraîche or soured cream
• 100g/4oz thick Greek yoghurt
• 3 large free-range eggs
For the blueberry topping
• 2 small punnets of blueberries
• 2 tsp cornflour
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Crush the biscuits to a powder in a food processor. Tip into a bowl.
2. Melt the butter then pour over the biscuit powder. Stir to combine. Press the mix into the base of a deep 20cm/8in springform or loose-bottomed cake tin, then place in the fridge for about 1 hour to set.
3. Preheat the oven to 170°C, 325°F, Gas 3.
4. In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla seeds until creamy. Mix in the crème fraîche and yoghurt. Add the eggs and beat until smooth.
5. Spoon the mix over the chilled biscuit base. Smooth over the top and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until the filling has set (it may need another 10 minutes). Transfer the tin to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries in the cornflour then put them in a small pan with 3 tbsp of water. Heat while stirring until the blueberries are bubbling and start to break up. Leave to cool.
7. Run a small paring knife around the inside of the cheesecake tin to help release the cooled cheesecake. Transfer to a serving plate and spoon the cooled blueberries over the top.
TOP TIP:
Instead of blueberries, you can also use cherries or cranberries. For the cherry version, add 1tsp of almond extract to the cheesecake mixture. For the cranberry version, add finely grated orange zest.
This recipe is taken from Leon Happy Baking by Claire Ptak – who created the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding cake – and Henry Dimbleby, who co-founded fast-food chain Leon on the principle that food that tastes good can do you good. Among the bakes are sugar-, dairy-, wheat- and gluten-free recipes so we can all enjoy a little something.
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