Strawberry & Chocolate Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

CHEESECAKE
• 308g Oreos
• 75g unsalted butter, melted
• 500g mascarpone
• 340g full fat cream cheese
• 300ml double cream
• 200g white chocolate
• 4 tbsp strawberry jam

GANACHE
• Red food colouring
• 50ml double cream
• 150g white chocolate

FOR DECORATION
• 8 strawberries
• 100ml whipped cream
• 75g dark chocolate
• 25g white chocolate

METHOD

1. Crush the Oreos with a hand blender until completely ground. Add melted butter and combine with a spoon
2. Grease and line the base of a 20cm round, deep, loose bottomed cake tin. Add the biscuit mixture to the cake tin and pat it flat with the back of a spoon. Leave to set in the fridge for about 30 mins.
3. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof glass bowl over a small pan of hot water on a low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and just before it is fully melted add the preserve and stir through.
4. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 mins until barely warm but still a liquid consistency.
5. Meanwhile whisk the cream cheese and mascarpone together. Add double cream and keep whisking until the mixture is fully holding its own shape. Finally add the melted chocolate and strawberry jam and whisk until combined.
6. Spoon the mixture over the cooled and set biscuit base, then smooth the top. Return to the fridge to cool whilst you prepare the ganache
7. To make the ganache put the food colouring, double cream and white chocolate into a microwavable bowl and heat at 15 second intervals stirring well after each one, until you have a smooth, glossy, pourable mixture.
8. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge, pour over the ganache and return to the fridge.
9. For the decoration, melt both chocolates in separate bowls in the microwave on 30 second intervals, when fully melted, dip the strawberries in the dark chocolate and pop on to a lined baking tray. Using a spoon drizzle, the white chocolate in lines. Once these are set enough to handle put on to the cheesecake leaving a little room between each one.
10. Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks are formed then either pipe or spoon between each strawberry.
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ENJOY! If you opt for Strawberry & Chocolate Cheesecake, please do share a picture!

Ricotta Baked Donuts

INGREDIENTS

DONUT
• 75g Ricotta
• 60ml milk
• 1 egg
• 36g butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 125g self-raising flour
• 10g cocoa powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 70g light brown sugar
• Red food colouring

FOR DECORATION
• 100g melted white chocolate
• Sprinkles of your choice

METHOD

1. Line a 6-hole donut silicon mould and preheat the oven to 175 degrees fan.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, ricotta, milk, and sugar until smooth.
3. Add the egg, vanilla essence and food colouring and beat again to thoroughly combine.
4. In a separate bowl mix together the cornflour, bicarbonate of soda, flour, and cocoa powder.
5. Add the flour mixture to the bowl containing the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined
6. Spoon equal amounts into each donut hole and bake for 11-13 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean).
7. Remove from oven, leave in the mould for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. To decorate, once cool spoon over the melted chocolate and cover in sprinkles.

ENJOY! If you opt for Ricotta Baked Donuts, please do share a picture!

Red Velvet Cake Truffles

INGREDIENTS

• 200g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 250g unsalted butter
• 250g light brown sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 200g full fat cream cheese
• 100ml double cream
• Red food colouring
• 350g white chocolate
• 100g milk chocolate

METHOD

1. Grease and line 1 x 6inch round springform cake tin and preheat the oven to 170 degrees fan.
2. First make the red velvet chocolate cake. Beat together your unsalted butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla essence and red food colouring and beat until combined.
3. Add flour and cocoa powder, beat again until smooth.
4. Bake both cakes on the middle shelf for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Once removed from the oven, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Add the cream cheese and double cream to a bowl and beat until firm.
7. Once the cake is fully cooled add into the cream cheese/cream mixture and then beat until fully combined (either using a stand mixer or electric hand beater)
8. Shape the mixture into balls shapes and put on to a lined large baking tray (spread across two small if preferred) and put in the fridge for 15 minutes.
9. Melt the two types of chocolate in separate bowls.
10. Remove the cake truffles from the fridge, dip each one in turn (using a fork or skewer makes this easier) into the white chocolate and then return to the baking tray.
11. When all are covered, using a spoon drizzle the milk chocolate over the top, then return to the fridge to set.

ENJOY! If you opt for Red Velvet Cake Truffles, please do share a picture!