I haven’t made a cheesecake in about 20 odd years but when I saw this recipe I was inspired because it was easy.  Once again I have changed the recipe to suit my pantry, time constraints etc. This is another Women’s Weekly recipe.

Ingredients

• 250g plain chocolate biscuits
• 125g butter, melted
• 3 teaspoons gelatine
• 1/2 cup water
• 250g packet cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup castor sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 300 ml thickened cream
• 425g can pitted black cherries

Method

Blend or process biscuits until mixture resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add butter and mix until combined. Press biscuit evenly over base and side of 20cm springform tin. Refrigerate about 30 mins or until firm.

Sprinkle gelatine over the water in small heatproof jug; stand jug in small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until gelatine dissolves. Cool 5 mins.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and juice in a bowl until smooth.

Whip cream until soft peaks form, fold into cheese mixture in two batches: fold in gelatine mixture. Drain cherries. Reserve 3/4 cup syrup to make a coulis.

Spoon 1/2 the cheese mixture into crumb crust, top with 3/4  of  the cherries. Spoon remainder of the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cherry Coulis

Place 3/4 cup reserved syrup add 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice and the leftover cherries to a saucepan.  Place on  medium heat and bring to boil. Transfer to a blender.

Puree until smooth, strain, cool then place in an airtight container. This can be kept for up to a week in the refrigerator.