Lorraine Pascale's Chocolate Cheesecake

 

I saw this recipe on BBC 2 Monday evening last, Lorraine Pascale, Home Cooking Made Easy. It is a no cook recipe that anyone could replicate at home, even with only minimal baking experience. Some points to note on the recipe, I halved the quantity (there is only four of use here and oh the temptation) and I used a 16cm diameter tin. I have found in the past that full fat cream cheese hold it's shape better and sets quicker than the low fat option. I used milk chocolate throughout, next time I'll use the milk and plain combination for more of a chocolate punch. This is a smooth and silky cheesecake that looks very impressive.

Serves 8

Ingredients
400g Packet chocolate digestives, crushed to fine crumbs
75g Butter, melted and cooled slightly
800g Cream cheese
Icing sugar, to taste
400g Milk chocolate (35% cocoa solids), or you can use a mixture of 300g milk chocolate and 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
1 tsp Vegetable oil
100g White chocolate

Method
Mix the crushed biscuits and butter together in a bowl with the back of a wooden spoon until well combined. Spoon the mixture into a 23cm/9in springform tin and press down very hard all the way around the base until flat and even.

Mix the cream cheese and icing sugar together in a bowl.

Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Pour a quarter of the chocolate into a jug, stir in the oil, then set aside and keep warm. (The chocolate can also be reheated in the microwave for 20 seconds if it cools down.)

Place a large dollop of the cream cheese mixture into the bowl of remaining chocolate and stir until well combined.

Keep adding the mixture, one dollop at a time, and mixing it vigorously until the chocolate mixture becomes smooth and silky and you have added all of the cream cheese. Pour the mixture onto the biscuit base and use the back of a large spoon to smooth the top, pressing down so that no gaps remain.

Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for 20 minutes, or until the chocolate top begins to firm. The cheesecake can also be placed into the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and make sure the jug of milk chocolate is nice and runny.

Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and pour the milk chocolate on top, spreading it out as you go until the top is completely covered. (For a smooth finish, pick up the cheesecake and tilt it back and forth, letting the chocolate run over and cover the cream cheese filling.) I usually drizzle with the melted white chocolate and allow to set.

This is Lorraine's method for decorating the cheesecake: Drizzle white chocolate lines across the top about 2cm/¾in apart. The neatest way to do this is by putting the chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a very small nozzle. Place the cheesecake so the lines are running towards you, then take a cocktail stick and drag it from left to right, making lines from left to right 2cm/¾in apart to form a grid. Drag the cocktail stick once again from right to left between the toothpick lines that you have just made. You will need to do this quite quickly so the chocolate lines are still runny.


Leave the cheesecake in a cool place to set for about two hours.

Run a hot sharp knife around the inside of the tin and carefully remove the cake. Serve in wedges with a drizzle of single cream.