Who doesn’t love a strawberry? Synonymous with Summer the Kent strawberry comes into its own in June. I had so many strawberries this week I’ve been serving with cream and ice cream for dessert Wimbledon style and whizzing them up in frozen daiquiris much to everyone’s delight.
To use up the rest I made this pretty little cheesecake which I promise you will love. If you can make it the night before, all the better as it will set better over night in the fridge.
Beautiful flowers were a thank you gift. I grew the mint in my garden. Check me out! No one is more surprised than me that it’s flourishing. I’m actually thrilled and astonished that it’s the first plant I’ve managed to keep alive for more than a month! Watch this space.
Ingredients
(For the base)
220g of digestive biscuits
100g butter
50g caster sugar
(For the topping)
500g of cream cheese
3 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of strawberry or raspberry coulis
100g icing sugar
A few drops of red food colouring
5 or 6 strawberries to decorate
Method
Start by greasing and lining a loose bottomed tin with greaseproof paper
Blitz the biscuits in a food processor or bash with a rolling pin in a doubled up freezer bag. I double it up so it doesn’t split and stops crumbs flying everywhere. You might want to get ahead of yourself and save this job for when someone is eating cereal in your ear! Once resembling crumbs heat your butter and caster sugar gently on the hob and once melted mix the crumbs in, making sure they are all coated and golden looking.
Now press the crumbs into your tin with a wooden spoon ensuring they are nice and compact. Pressing down with your fist helps to do this. Now place in the fridge while you do your topping.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, icing sugar, coulis and vanilla extract. Once the mixture starts to thicken and is folded together pop in a few tiny drops of red food colouring to get a cute pink colour, then fully spread all over the biscuit base and transfer to the fridge for at least three hours to set but preferably overnight if you have time.
Once set remove carefully from the tin and decorate with a few chopped up strawberries scattered in the middle and a sprig of mint, if its still alive!
Fact: Strawberries are part of the rose family.
Love To Cook With Suzi 