VIVA LA VITA

The ultimate summer dessert – chilled cheesecake.
I have been using this recipe for years and this is the latest variation with an exotic twist.

Dragon Fruit Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 100 gr butter, melted
• 200 gr crunchy biscuits
• 600 gr soft cheese (Philadelphia works great here)
• 100 gr icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp amaretto liqueur (optional)
• 300ml double cream
• dragon fruit, pomegranate seeds and clementines to decorate

Directions:

Line a base of round baking tin with baking paper – use a bit of butter on the bottom to help keep it in place. Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and smash them to a fine flour or use a food processor to do the same job. Mix them with the melted butter and put inside the tin, pressing firmly to create a smooth surface.

Put the tin in a freezer for few minutes while you prepare the filling.

Mix the soft cheese, vanilla, amaretto, icing sugar, cream in a bowl until smooth and creamy. I put half of the mixture in first to create a red pattern in the middle of the cake (see pics below), but it wasn’t really worth the effort. If you’re using the dragon fruit inside the cake, put a thin layer of the peeled fruit on top of the first layer and cover with rest of the cream cheese mix.

On the top, spread a bit of food colouring across the middle and then with a toothpick stretch it across the rest of the cake. Don’t worry if you don’t get it all the way to the edges because you will decorate the rest with fruit. Decorate as pictured.

Leave it sit in a fridge for few hours, best overnight and enjoy the next day.