THIS is a really fun and easy Christmas dessert idea that is a good variation on a theme.
I've made this before, and now I've seen the supermarket selling them and I made a nice one yesterday up at Lino's Restaurant.
I find the best cheese to use for cheesecake is mascarpone, an Italian full fat cheese, it's creamy and had a slight nutty taste. I love it.
If you can't get it or don't like the price you can use Philadelphia. I don't think it's quite as good. It's more cheesy in taste and is firmer than mascarpone, but the recipe will still work.
I used Robertson's mincemeat on this recipe, which was really nice and sweet so I didn't have to add any sugar but once you have combined them have a taste and add some caster sugar if you feel you need to.
I added a glug of brandy to the mixture to give it some extra potency too but you don't have to.
Ingredients:
500 g mascarpone cheese 1/2 pint double cream ( half whipped) 1 x 400 g jar of mincemeat Glug of brandy Small packet of digestive biscuits (crushed) 4 oz butter (melted)
(This made me a 10in cheesecake that was quite thin, if you have an 8in ring you can use these quantities for a taller one, If you have a 6in ring then halve the recipe)
Method:
Crush the biscuits in the blender or food processor, that is the best way. Add the melted butter to these until well mixed. Grease a tray and put the ring on to it. Spoon in the biscuit mixture and press down with a potato masher until flat all over. Refrigerate until set. Place the cheese in a bowl add the mincemeat and combine well, whisk the cream in another bowl until you can make soft peaks but it isn't whipped firm. Combine into cheese and mince mix. Add a drop of brandy and mix gently in. Spoon the mixture over the biscuit base and smooth down with the back of a spoon to level it nicely. Chill until set (a few hours), gently warm the bottom of the tray to make it easier to remove, and rub the outside of the ring with a warm cloth so it slips off cleanly and doesn't drag the cheese.
