Easy cheese cakes

 Well I managed to make a cheesecake to die for, my first attempt and I can pat myself on the back!

I said in my 'Asian Scallops and Monkfish' post that Scallops were a good starter for a dinner date, well this is definitely a dessert for that date.  Or if your folks are coming over and you want to show them that you can even go further than just managing to feed yourself, you can actually spoil yourself too or maybe making them as a treat to take in your lunchpack.

This recipe came from the bbcgoodfood magazine.

You will need:
a saucepan
6 muffin cases
muffin baking tray (12 wells in, don't think I've seen one with just 6)
Oven preheated to 150 degrees centigrade

cooking time 35 minutes
chilling time 30 minutes or more

Ingredients

For the base:
8 digestive biscuits - crushed to a fine mix (rolling pin and plastic sandwich bag will do the job)
50g/2oz butter

For the filling:
50g/2oz Icing sugar
250g tub of ricotta cheese
zest of one lemon and juice of half
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
150ml/1/4pt double cream

For the topping:
2 tbsp Jam (any flavour is fine) I used blueberry as I had it in the fridge already
3 strawberries halved but use any fruit

Method
Put the 6 paper muffin cases in the metal muffin tin and put aside.
Melt the butter in the saucepan on a low heat and then add crushed biscuits, stir until all are coated.
Add to the paper muffin cases and press down with the back of a spoon
Put them in the fridge to chill.

Put all the other ingredients apart from the double cream into a bowl and beat together, wooden spoon will do the job.
In another bowl whisk the double cream until it stands in peaks and then fold this into the other mixture. Folding is simply that, folding it with a spoon or spatula into the other mixture. Not too fast and no stirring or beating.

Spoon this mixture into the muffin cases on top of the biscuit mixture and fill to the very top of the cases. Tap the tin a few times on a table or counter to release any air bubbles.

Pop into the oven for 35 minutes.

Turn the oven off and leave them in until cooled. When I took them out of the oven later I decided that they were a little too wobbly, I tried one and it was very unstable so I popped them into the fridge for half an hour and that did the trick - perfect.  Melt a little jam in a saucepan and add to the cheesecake and pop back into the fridge.



Just before eating add a half strawberry, or whatever fruit you decide upon, to the top of the cake.

Delicious and easy!!!