This recipe is really just a twist on a traditional chilled Cheesecake, but rather than using Digestive or Ginger Biscuits, try to source some Dutch Style Speculaas, which will add an extra dimension to the dish. There is very little refined sugar in this dish, meaning that you really do taste the Fresh Raspberries and the mellow spice that comes from the biscuit base and topping. For best results I recommend a mini electric food processor to achieve the results for the dusting on top and the Chocolate Soil. Otherwise, try to crush the biscuits and chocolate as fine as possible. The addition of a little golden syrup to the biscuit crumb prevents the base from over solidifying when chilled. If you were to use just melted butter and biscuits, it can lead to solid and hard base, which is difficult to slice.

​

HOW TO PREPARE

​

• Heat the oven to 180°c or 160°c Fan

• Crush or blitz the Biscuits and add to a mixing bowl with the melted Butter and Golden Syrup then mix well

• Cut out from a sheet of greaseproof paper, a size that will fit the bottom of your cake tin. This will prevent the cheesecake from sticking when removing it from the tin.

• Press the biscuit mix into the base of the cake tin and bake in the oven for just 10 minutes - Remove and leave to cool

• Crush or blitz the Chocolate (a few bigger pieces will add a bit of texture) and leave to one side

• In a large bowl, whisk the Double Cream to the soft peak stage and then fold in the sifted icing sugar

• In another bowl, add the Mascarpone Cheese and loosen it down with a little of the whipped cream mixture

• Carefully fold the rest of the Whipped Cream mixture into the Mascarpone Cheese until smooth

• Fold in the Fresh Raspberries (Don't worry if some of the Raspberries break up, that will happen)

• Fold in around 80% of the blitzed Chocolate into the mixture. (Hold the rest back as the Chocolate Soil garnish - optional)

• Once the biscuit base is cool, add the mixture, pressing it into the edges and filling to the top of the tin. Then smooth out the top with a pallet knife or similar

• Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour, to chill and firm up

• Remove the Cheesecake from the fridge and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Then remove from the tin. Just before serving decorate the top of the Cheesecake how you like. A dusting of some of the blitzed chocolate and Speculaas dust works well (See Image above)

• Garnish with Berries, Fruits and Mint Leaves

• The dish is now ready to serve

​