Keeping with the theme of Christmas treats and baking I have the perfect recipe for you. This dreamy cheesecake is a show stopper.
I have reduced the amount of sugar I would usually use, so the cherry and chocolate flavours can burst through. It's so simple to make and, best of all, can be made a day or two in advance. I hope this recipe makes it to your Christmas celebrations.
Buon appetito!
Chocolate & Cherry ripple cheesecake
Makes: 24cm round tin
Base:
250g (1 pkt) store-bought chocolate biscuits (eg choc ripple)
90g melted butter
Filling:
500g cream cheese, softened
250g mascarpone, softened
100g caster sugar
300ml thickened cream, lightly whipped
120g dark chocolate, melted then cooled
375g fresh or tinned cherries, pips removed, finely chopped and juice reserved
Line the base and sides of your cake tin with baking paper and set aside. In a food processer, blend biscuits until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add melted butter and blend on pulse setting until mix is combined. Pour base mix into cake tin and using your fingers press down mix evenly to cover the base of the tin and pop in fridge.
To make the filling, in a clean bowl put cream cheese, mascarpone and caster sugar and beat with electric beater until combined and sugar starts to break down, this will take 3 to 5 minutes. Next, add the lightly whipped cream and beat through until combined. Divide filling mix equally into 3 different bowls.
In bowl one fold through the chocolate until combined. In bowl two fold in cherries and about 1/3 cup of juice and leave last bowl plain. To create the marble effect for the filling, place a couple of spoonfuls of chocolate filling on biscuit base followed by a couple of cherry filling and vanilla, randomly dotting them around. Do this until all the filling mix in is your tin.
Use a knife to gently cut through filling to create the swirls and marble effect. Using a spatula smooth over the top and pop in fridge for 3 to 4 hours or until set.