Gingerbread Cheesecake

Not a fan of a traditional Christmas pud or just fancy more than one desert on the big day? Well I’ve got you sorted with this cheesecake.

Ever since I was little, baking and decorating gingerbread has always been a tradition. Using this memory as inspiration and stripping back the colourful sweet sticky icing, I have created this indulgent creamy desert full of festive flavours! The nostalgic taste of gingerbread will always be a winner for me and my family and I’m sure I’m not alone on that one.

Prepare your cheesecake a day in advance so you can kick back, relax and enjoy your mulled wine, whilst indulging in this creamy desert.

Ingredients:

(Serves 8)

- 375g cream cheese (full fat)

- 200ml double cream

- ½ tsp cinnamon

- ½ tsp nutmeg

- 100g icing sugar

- 1tsp vanilla extract

- 1 clementine

- 95g butter

- 300g gingerbread biscuits (plus extra for decoration)

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat.

2. Crush your biscuits in a sealed bag with a rolling pin to form a crumb texture and add this to your melted butter.

3. Combine the biscuits and butter, then flatten this into your cheesecake dish to form a solid even base layer. Place the dish in the fridge for it to harden.

4. Whip the double cream so it is slightly stiff. Then add the cream cheese and whisk a little more so you have a thick consistency.

5. Sift in the icing sugar along with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Grate the skin of the clementine and add this rind to the mixture.

6. Fold the cheesecake mixture to ensure all the ingredients are combined.

7. Remove the dish from the fridge and layer the cheesecake mixture over of the base to form a nice even layer.

8. Crush some more gingerbread biscuits and sprinkle this around the edge of the cheesecake (optional).

9. Place the cheesecake back in the fridge for serving later. It will keep for to 2-3 days in the fridge…if you can wait that long!

#dessert