Espresso martini cheesecake
Serves 12 Prep 40 mins plus chilling, cooling and 24 hrs freezing Cook 10 mins 70g salted butter, plus extra for the tin 100g dark chocolate digestive biscuits 150g biscotti
150g dark chocolate, chopped
500g full-fat soft cheese
180g icing sugar
300ml double cream
30ml espresso or strong coffee
50ml coffee liqueur
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
FOR THE COFFEE SYRUP
50ml coffee liqueur
50ml espresso or strong coffee
50g golden caster sugar
TO SERVE
200g soured cream
30g chocolate-coated coffee beans
1 Butter a 20 x 25 x 4.5cm deep loosebottomed cake tin and line with baking parchment. Blitz the digestive biscuits and biscotti in a food processor to make crumbs. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, then add the biscuit crumbs and stir to combine. Tip into the tin and press firmly into the base. Chill for 30 mins, or freeze for 10 mins. 2 Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir until smooth, then leave to cool to room temperature; about 15 mins. 3 Divide the soft cheese, icing sugar and cream equally between two bowls. To one bowl, add the cooled melted chocolate and beat with an electric whisk until thick and creamy. To the second bowl, add the coffee, coffee liqueur and vanilla, and beat until thick and creamy; about 3-5 mins (the coffee mixture will not get quite as thick). Spoon the chocolate mixture over the biscuit base and level with a palette knife. Freeze for 30 mins, or until starting to firm up. Spoon over the coffee mixture, level the top and return to the freezer for at least a further 24 hrs. Will keep frozen, well covered, for up to two weeks.
4 On the day you want to serve the cheesecake, make the coffee syrup. Pour the coffee liqueur, coffee and sugar into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins, or until syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Leave to cool completely.
5 Take the cheesecake out of the freezer
1 hr before serving. Once defrosted, the cheesecake will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
6 Spread the soured cream over the top, drizzle with the coffee syrup, then scatter over the coffee beans. Cut into 12 portions and serve straightaway (after about 5 mins the syrup will crack the soured cream).
PER SERVING 548 kcals, fat 38g, saturates 23g, carbs 40g, sugars 32g, fibre 2g, protein 6g, salt 0.5g