Without cheesecake, there would be darkness and chaos.

Okay, I'm paraphrasing Don Kardong but you can probably tell that I am a big fan of cheesecake. Hey, I like cheese and I like cake it only makes sense. So, I thought I'd share my favourite recipe for a lemon and vanilla cheesecake topped with raspberries (shown above).

Ingredients:

For the biscuit base:

10 digestive biscuits

75g melted butter

1 tablespoon clear honey

(I like to add a little vanilla extract in the base as well but its optional)

For the filling:

700g mascarpone cheese

1 lemon, juice and zest

200g caster sugar

4 tablespoon icing sugar

Method:

Crush the biscuits (the finer the better) and tip into a bowl, mix with the melted butter and honey. This is when I'd add splash of vanilla extract. Then tip the mixture into a grease proof  paper lined cake tin and spread using the back of a spoon. Refrigerate while you make the filing.

For the filing, mix the mascarpone, lemon zest and juice, caster sugar and vanilla extract (to taste) until combined. But not too much as this will cause it to split and you don't want that!  

Spoon the mixture into the tin over the chilled biscuit base and smooth over. Leave chilling in the fridge for at least two hours. 

Top with raspberries or your choice of summer fruit et viola! 

A really easy dessert that can be adapted for all tastes, I plan of trying to recreate Wagamamas White Chocolate and Ginger cheesecake (gluten free for the boyfriend). Admittedly not something for everyday but everyone should indulge from time to time.

:) xoxo