Mini Banana Cheesecakes

Mini Banana Cheesecakes

200g tennis biscuits, finely crumbed (keep a handful aside for decoration/to serve)
60ml sugar
120g butter, melted
450g cream cheese, room temperature
125ml sugar
2 eggs
5ml vanilla
250ml sour cream
250ml mashed banana
5ml cornstarch
125ml milk
2 bananas, sliced
whipped cream
a handful of biscuit crumbs

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line a muffin tin with paper cups. Set aside.
Add the biscuit crumbs, 60ml sugar and melted butter to a mixing bowl and mix until it resembles wet sand.
Divide the mixture among the paper cups and press it down firmly in the bottom to form a base. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese and 125ml sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on high speed, scraping down a few times, until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and add the vanilla as well.
Pour in the sour cream and mix until fully combined. Set aside.
Add the mashed banana and cornstarch to a bowl and drizzle in the milk. Whisk by hand until combined and thick.
Fold the mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
Spoon the batter into the prepared biscuit bases.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Allow the cheesecakes to cool completely and place them in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.
Take the cheesecakes from the paper cups, scoop some whipped cream on top and decorate with slices of banana and a sprinkling of biscuit crumbs.

Apple Cheesecake

Apple Cheesecake

300g dry biscuits
100g butter, melted
500g cream cheese, room temperature
100g caster sugar
300g sour cream
10ml vanilla
3 eggs
1 x 385g tin unsweetened pie apple slices, drained
2,5ml ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 150℃ and spray a 17cm x 27cm (22cm round) baking tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
Break the biscuits into the bowl of a food processor and blitz to crumbs.
Drizzle in the butter while the engine is running – the mixture should resemble wet sand.
Spoon the mixture into the baking tin and evenly press into the base and up the sides.
Place in the refrigerator until needed.
Add the cream cheese, caster sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs to the bowl of your clean food processor.
Process until well combined and spoon into a mixing bowl.
Add the drained apple slices and fold the mixture through.
Bake the cheesecake for 45minutes. It should just be set and still be slightly wobbly in the centre.
Turn off your oven, open the oven door slightly and rest the cake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven, sprinkle over the ground cinnamon and cool to room temperature.
Now refrigerate the cheesecake overnight.

Turkish Delight Cheesecake

Turkish Delight Cheesecake

250g digestive biscuits
80g butter, melted
50ml water
10g powdered gelatine
450g cream cheese
10ml + 5ml rose water
160ml cream
2 x 80g packets jelly, cherry flavour

Spray a 22cm loose bottom cake tin with cooking spray.
Break up the digestive biscuits and add them to a food processor. Blitz to fine crumbs.
Melt the butter and drizzle it in with the engine running.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, spread it out evenly and press down. Refrigerate until needed.
Pour the water into a smal bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixed fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until soft.
Add the icing sugar and beat until incorporated. Scrape the bowl down every now and then.
Add the 10ml rose water and mix through. Set aside.
Add the cream to a large bowl and whisk to form soft peaks.
Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture.
Melt the gelatine in the microwave – a few seconds!!! It should be liquid and dissolved.
Scoop 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the gelatine and mix well.
Now add this mixture to the cream cheese mixture and thoroughly fold through.
Pour the mixture into the cake tin and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Prepare the jelly according to packet instructions and stand to cool but not set.
Add the 5ml rose water once the mixture is cooled and pour on to the cheesecake.
Refrigerate until set.