Cherry Cheesecake

This is a new recipe which it was a risk to try as so often cheesecake ones disappoint. But this was very much appreciated by the family - it is a rich creamy New York type which you could serve plain but is hugely enhanced by the addition of fruit. In honour of C, who once said they were her favourite, I used cherries but any sharp fruit would be good. Don't bother with tins of cherries, look for jars of morellos in juice. Pek is the make I can get in Morrisions here.

Cherry Cheesecake - enough for 8 with seconds or slices with coffee the next day

Crust

6oz crushed digestives mixed with 2oz melted butter

Press this evenly over the base of a 9in springform tin, which you have oiled and then lined with baking parchment.

Put the tin on a heavy baking sheet

Filling

8oz golden castor sugar
3tbs cornflour sieved
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
few drops vanilla essence
740g(1lb 10 oz) Philly cream cheese
2 large eggs lightly beaten
284ml (large carton) double cream 

Oven at 200/No 6 - quite high for a cheesecake so adjust to a slightly lower heat if your oven is very fierce and the cheesecake starts to look too brown after 20 mins or so - they do vary.

1. A processor is useful to mix all this together: the cheese, cornflour and sugar first, then the eggs, cream and vanilla in slowly after you have got the cheese smooth.  You could do it by hand - but in any case, don't mix it too vigorously, you are just trying to make a thick mixture without air bubbles.
2. Taste!
3. Pour into your tin which you have already placed on a baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes.
4. Once you see it is nearly set and still has a slight wobble when you shake the tin, give it 5 mins with the oven turned up to its highest as this gives it a lightly golden top which if you are serving it without a fruit topping, or instead with fruit on the side, is important. Or just take it out.
5. Let it cool in the tin before putting in the fridge where it will sit happily for 3 days if you can leave it that long. In fact the flavour improves so I would make it a day early in any case. 

Fruit Topping

• Once the cake is cold and only a couple of hours before serving it, drain your cherries  well, keeping the juice in a measuring jug.
• Use arrowroot to thicken this into a sauce. If you have not used arrowroot before read the instructions carefully but it is easy and once you are used to it, you can really do this by feel and sight. The juice needs to be clear, and just thick enough to slide over the sides of the cake so go slowly and don't add to much arrowroot as you can always go back and add more, heat it again, cool it again.
• Once it is cold, add the cherries and then carefully pile it all on top of your cheesecake.
• Use a pretty plate to serve it.