FRIDAY BAKING

A delicious Christmas treat; decorate simply or embellish lavishly. We’ve used chopped hazelnut chocolates, fresh strawberries and freeze-dried strawberry powder with a dusting of icing sugar

Baked Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Cheesecake.

BASE 200 grams dark chocolate digestive biscuits

50 grams roasted hazelnuts

⅓ cup melted butter FILLING ½ cup cream

200 grams dark chocolate, 68 per cent cocoa, well chopped ⅓ cup Nutella ¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur

500 grams cream cheese at room temperature

½ cup caster sugar 2 large eggs, size 7

for decorating ideas see Cook’s note Preheat the oven to 150°C, not fan bake.

Grease a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

BASE: Put the biscuits and nuts in a food processor and blend until fine crumbs.

Add the butter and pulse to combine. Tip into the tin and press down firmly to form an even layer. Chill while making the filling.

FILLING: Put the cream in a saucepan and heat to just below the boil. Take off the heat and add the chocolate, Nutella and salt.

Leave for 2 minutes then whisk until smooth. Stir in the liqueur. Cool until lukewarm. Beat the cream cheese until light and airy. Beat in the sugar then the eggs. Add the just warm chocolate and, using a large metal spoon, gently but thoroughly fold together.

Tip into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for about 1 hour until just set but still with a slight wobble in the centre. It will firm up on cooling. Turn off the oven and fully open the door, leaving the cheesecake inside until the oven is cool. Cover and chill. This is very rich so cut into small portions. SERVES 12