Chestnut Cheesecake

Photo: flickr user bortescristian

Ingredients

150 grams packet Nice biscuits

60 grams butter or hard margarine

teaspoon mixed spice

225 grams cream cheese

25 grams icing sugar sifted

2 level teaspoons powdered gelatine

225 grams sweetened chestnut puree

2 egg whites

110 mls double cream

Preparation

You will need an 20cm loose based sponge or flan tin lightly oiled.

First make a crumb crust by finely crushing the biscuits in a food processor or with a rolling pin and a lot of pressure.

Gently melt the butter in a saucepan remove it from the heat and stir in the crushed biscuits and spice.

Spoon it into the prepared tin and press it down firmly and evenly.

Cover it with clingfilm and chill in a fridge until firm at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile put the gelatine with 2 tablespoons of cold water into a small bowl and stand this in a pan of barely simmering water.

Stir it until the gelatine has dissolved and has become completely clear and transparent.

Then in a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese till smooth and blend in the icing sugar.

Next take 175g of the chestnut puree leaving the other 50g for decoration and stir this into the cheese mixture.

Then stir in the dissolved gelatine and beat it until smooth.

Finally whisk the egg whites till stiff and carefully fold them into the mixture. Pour this into the biscuit base smooth the top and place in the fridge to chill and become firm about 3 hours.

Before serving remove the cheesecake from the tin.

Whisk the double cream and then combine it with the remaining chestnut puree and using a palette knife carefully spread it over the surface of the cheesecake.

Serves 8 people