Strawbs Cheesecake:

210g digestives

100g unsalted butter, melted

200g fresh strawberries, hulled & chopped + extra to decorate

170g caster sugar

600g cream cheese *see NY Cheesecake*

2 jumbo eggs

1 tbsp strawberry extract

100g mascarpone

25g icing sugar

100ml double cream

Prepare a 20cm round springform tin just like in “New York Cheesecake” complete with bain-marie + foil etc… and line with the base made with the crushed biscuits and butter.

In the meantime, whilst the base is chilling, bring the 200g fruit to the boil with 2 - 3 tbsp water and 80g of the sugar. Reduce the heat and leave to stew until the fruit is soft and the liquid reduced by half. OVEN: 160°C (Fan = -20°)

Loosen the cheese by lightly beating and add the sugar then the eggs one by one, by making sure to scrape the sides for unmixed ingredients. Make sure the mix is smooth and then turn up mixer to high for 1 minute to make it lighter and fluffier. Now stir in the extract.

Fold in the fruit and bake in the bain-marie for 30 minutes. It should be firm on top with a slight wobble in the centre. Leave in the fridge overnight.

Whisk the mascarpone with the icing sugar & the double cream in separate bowls then combine. Spread this over the cheesecake and top with extra fruit when you are ready to serve.

I find it really nice if you can be bothered to make a rosette from strawberry slices, but otherwise grab some strawberries, hull them, then place them upside down in a ring around the outside of the cake. You could also make extra Chantilly and cover the sides like here: