Indulgent cheesecake with the bite of delicious morello cherries
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
- Preheat the oven to 180c or fan 160c
- Line the base of a 10cm spring form cake tin with parchment paper
- For the base, melt the butter in a medium pan
- Stir in the biscuit crumbs and sugar so the mixture is evenly moistened
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes
- Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling
- For the filling- increase the oven temperature to 200c or fan180c
- Beat the soft cheese in a mixer at a medium-low speed until creamy (about 2 minutes)
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the sugar, then the flour and a pinch of salt, then add the vanilla and lemon
- Whisk in the eggs and yolk, one at a time
- Stir in the soured cream until smooth
- Melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water Making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water
- 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
- Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the cake
- Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 110c or fan 90c and bake for 15 minutes more
- 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
- 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.
- Cool, serve and enjoy!
This recipe comes from our friends at The Devilled Egg Kitchen Academy in Bristol.
The Devilled Egg offers practical cookery courses and private bespoke lessons taught in a wonderful relaxed setting in Clifton, Bristol. They also provide online recipe videos, where you can follow their professional chefs, step-by-step, and at your own pace. And a fantastic range of tutorials, demonstrations and tastings in both food and wine are also available.
If you decide to get in touch with The Devilled Egg, please do mention Ashridge Nurseries!
As ever, if you give any recipe a go, please do write back and tell us all about it!