For a spring dessert recipe that's a winner every time, look no further than this lovely cheesecake recipe and you'll not be disappointed. Try it out for your next dinner party for a great dessert option that you can make ahead and feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- for the base
- 200g (7oz) chocolate and peanut cookies (we used Hellema, from Waitrose)
- 50g (2oz) butter, melted
- for the filling
- 150g (5oz) dark chocolate, in pieces
- 200ml (7fl oz) double cream
- 2 free-range eggs
- 100g (4oz) sugar
- 500g (1lb 2oz) full-fat cream cheese
- 150g (5oz) crunchy peanut butter (we used Skippy Super Crunch)
- you will need
- 20cm (8in) springform tin, oiled and the sides lined with baking parchment
- chocolate curls, salted peanuts and edible gold glitter, to decorate
Method
For the base, whizz the cookies in a food processor and mix with the butter and a generous pinch of salt. Press into the base of the tin; smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Place in the fridge.
Heat the oven to 150 C, 130 C fan, 300 F, gas 2. For the filling, put the chocolate and cream into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water and leave to melt (don’t stir it too much or it will seize). In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric hand whisk until pale and thick. Beat in the cream cheese and peanut butter, then fold in the melted chocolate and cream mixture. Spoon on to the chilled base and smooth flat with the back of a spoon.
Place a roasting tin half-filled with boiling water in the bottom of the oven (the steam will prevent the cheesecake cracking), then bake on the middle shelf for 1 hour 15 minutes or until just set but slightly wobbly in the middle. Cool in the fridge immediately – this also helps prevent cracking. We decorated ours with chocolate curls, chopped peanuts and edible gold glitter.
