TRIPLE CREAM AMARETTO CHEESECAKE

I love the amaretti cookies you find in Italian delis and this cheesecake is a perfect excuse to use these nostalgic bitter almond cookies. The three creams are because... well, why not? Oh, and that whole thing about baking cheesecakes in messy water baths? Forget it. This technique works well and you will never again get a soggy bottom.

SERVES 6-8 FOR THE BASE

★ 200g amaretti cookies, crushed

★ 50g ground almonds

★ 115g unsalted butter

★ ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

FOR THE FILLING

★ 690g cream cheese

★ 100g soft light brown sugar

★ 4 eggs

★ 1 tsp vanilla extract

★ 250g crème fraîche

★ 120g double cream

★ 3 tbsp amaretto liqueur

★ Grease a 23cm springform cake tin.

★ Crush the amaretti cookies into a bowl by hand and add the ground almonds.

★ Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add to the bowl along with the salt, and combine well with a spoon.

Press into the bottom of your prepared baking tin and chill

for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.

★ In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the crème fraîche, cream and amaretto and mix again until well combined.

★ Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½.

★ Remove the base from the fridge and top the crust with the

cheese mixture, smoothing the top. Your cake tin will be very full, but don’t worry. Put on a baking sheet and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for

1 hour until golden and set around the edges, but still wobbly in the middle.

★ Turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Leave the cheesecake inside to cool for at least an hour then put in the fridge and chill until ready to serve.