NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY CRÈME FRAÎCHE CHEESECAKE

SERVES 10-14

INGREDIENTS

250g Scotch finger biscuits

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

80g butter, melted

500g cream cheese, softened

Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean

400g crème fraîche

5 egg yolks

80ml water

3 gelatine leaves (titanium strength), softened in cold water for 5 minutes

Finely grated zest ¼ lemon

1kg strawberries, sliced

Icing sugar, for dusting

1 (You’ll need a sugar thermometer for this.) Grease and line a shallow 20cm x 30cm tin, leaving an overhang. Process biscuits and 30g of the sugar to fine crumbs. Add butter and a large pinch of salt and pulse until combined. Press crumbs into base of tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up. 2 Beat cream cheese and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle until smooth and combined. Add crème fraîche, stir until smooth, then transfer to a bowl.

3 Clean and dry mixer bowl, then whisk yolks in mixer until pale and fluffy (5 minutes).

4 Combine remaining sugar and the 80ml water in a small pan over medium-high heat, stir to dissolve then bring to the boil and cook until syrup reaches 121°C on a sugar thermometer (6-8 minutes). Squeeze excess water from gelatine, add to pan and stir until just melted then, with mixer on high speed, add sugar syrup to yolks in a thin, steady stream, whisking until pale, thick and cooled a little (3-4 minutes).

5 Whisk cream cheese mixture into yolk mixture with lemon zest. Spread evenly over biscuit base and chill until set (3 hours).

6 Top with strawberries and dust with icing sugar to serve. Cheesecake will keep for 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. •