Rich and indulgent, cheesecakes make a pleasing afternoon tea treat or dessert. Choose from this selection of baked or chilled versions
Tea & biscuits cheesecake bars
There’s nothing better than dunking biscuits into tea, and these ingenious cheesecake bars capture that flavour sensation perfectly.
SERVES 12-14 PREP 45 mins plus infusing at least 4 hrs chilling COOK 5 mins MORE EFFORT V
10 teabags (choose a strong tea) 400ml double cream 500g mascarpone cheese 280g full-fat soft cheese 150g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the base
400g digestive biscuits, plus extra crushed biscuits to serve 200g butter, melted
For the brown butter & tea sauce
50g butter 100g light brown soft sugar
You will need
cook’s muslin
1 Cut open the teabags and tip the contents into a jug. Pour over 100ml boiling water, leave to steep for a few minutes, then scrape into a square of muslin and tie to create a giant teabag. Pour 300ml of the cream into a pan and add the muslin teabag. Bring to a simmer, then immediately remove from the heat and put in the fridge to chill and infuse.
2 Meanwhile, make the base. Blitz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor, then pour in the butter and pulse to mix. Tip into a lined 20 x 30cm loose-bottomed brownie tin. Spread and press down firmly with the back of a spoon. Put in the fridge alongside the infusing cream.
3 Beat the mascarpone, soft cheese, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt together using an electric whisk until thick and smooth. Remove the giant teabag from the cream, squeeze gently and discard. Pour 200ml of the infused cream into the cheesecake mix and whisk until just combined, reserving the rest of the infused cream for the sauce.
4 Whisk the remaining 100ml double cream (that has not been infused) until it holds soft peaks, then fold gently into the cheesecake mix. Tip the mixture onto the biscuit base, spread out to the edges with a spatula and smooth the top. Chill for at least 4 hrs, or overnight.
5 To make the sauce, melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat, and cook, whisking, for 2-3 mins until brown and nutty. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and whisk, then add the reserved infused cream and a large pinch of salt. Return to the heat and cook for 2 mins until warm.
6 Drizzle the warm sauce over the chilled cheesecake and scatter over some crushed biscuits. Slice into 12 bars using a warmed knife to serve. Will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
PER SERVING (14) 688 kcals • fat 57g • saturates 35g • carbs 38g • sugars 5g • fibre 1g • protein 5g • salt 0.9g
Eton mess cheesecake
This has all the flavours of the classic British summer dessert, but
