Spiced apple cheesecake

Winter fruit and spices work well in this. It can be dressed up or down to be as fancy or casual as you like. You can use pear wedges or fresh pineapple chunks instead of apple, if you prefer.

Serves 12 Prep 30 mins, plus overnight chilling Cook 10 mins

FOR THE BASE

100g butter, melted, plus extra for tin

250g ginger nuts

100g stem ginger in syrup, drained and chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

FOR THE CHEESECAKE CREAM

600g cream cheese

300g ricotta, drained seeds of

1 vanilla pod

120g golden caster sugar

1 lemon, zested

FOR THE TOPPING

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 teaspoon mixed spice

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored

200g golden caster sugar

50ml brandy

1 Butter and line the base of a 23cm loose-based cake tin. Whizz the biscuits to a rough crumb in a food processor, or put them in a sandwich bag and crush with a rolling pin. Tip the crumbs into a bowl with the melted butter, stem ginger and spices, and stir well. Press the mixture into the tin, pushing up the sides a little (putting your hand in a food bag makes this easier). Leave the base to set for 30 mins in the fridge.

2 For the cheese layer, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth, then pour over the base. Chill in the fridge overnight.

3 The next day, make the topping. Mix the cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice in a large bowl. Cut each apple into 12 wedges, then toss the wedges in the spice mixture. Heat the sugar and 4 tbsp water in a saucepan and bubble to an amber caramel. As soon as the sugar becomes a dark caramel, take off the heat and carefully toss through the apples. Pour in the brandy, and it will bubble and seize. Return pan to heat and simmer gently to re-dissolve the caramel and cook the apples in the syrup. Remove from the heat and set the apples aside to cool in the syrup.

4 Ease the cheesecake out of the tin. Spoon the apples over the top with a slotted spoon. Serve the sticky syrup on the side as a sauce.

PER SERVING 479 kcals, fat 25g, saturates 16g, carbs 54g, sugars 44g, fibre 1g, protein 6g, salt 0.8g