Recipe: Millionaires Cheesecake

You'll need a tin with a bottom that pops out so you can remove your cheesecake easily at the end. First thing I do is make the caramel. This gives it time to cool whilst I'm doing other things.

1.Put all of the ingredients for the caramel into a pan, heat until the butter and sugar have completely melted, then bring to the boil ensuring you stir constantly. If you don't the sugar will burn and the caramel will be left with a nasty, bitter taste. Once brought to the boil reduce to simmer for 3-5 minutes, just until the caramel has begun to thicken in the pan. Place in a bowl or jug and leave to cool.

2. Place the digestives in a clean carrier bag, or wrap in a tea towel and bash them with a rolling pin (or anything else heavy) until you have a fine, sand like texture. Heat 50g of butter in a pan, once melted add the biscuit. Stir until all is coated with butter, then use the mixture to create your base at the bottom of your cheese cake dish.

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:

3 x 200g Philadelphia Soft Cheese

1 Vanilla pod/Extract

Icing sugar (use to your own taste)

For the base:

300g Digestive Biscuits

50g Unsalted Butter

For the Caramel:

100g Light Muscovado Sugar

100g Unsalted Butter

1 x 400g Can of Condensed Milk

For the Chocolate Ganache:

100g of good quality Milk Chocolate

150ml of double cream

I usually use a large metal spoon to flatten the biscuit into a base. Once that's done, if the mixture isn't compact enough I'll heat a little more butter in a dish, then pour this over the top of the base and spread to ensure it sets. Place base in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

If you're using a vanilla pod then this is the time to open it up and scrape out the seeds into a large mixing bowl.

3. Add all of the soft cheese to the large mixing bowl and mix with your vanilla. Once that's mixed, add icing sugar and continue to do so until you're happy with the sweetness of your cheese. Because this cheesecake is very rich, I tend to use less sugar than usual.

4.Take your base from the fridge and add the cheese mixture evenly over the base. You may have some left over depending on the size of your dish. Once done, place back into the fridge and leave it 30 minutes-1 Hour. During this time you can make the chocolate ganache.

5.Break the milk chocolate up into small pieces and put into a bowl. Pour all of the cream into a saucepan and heat it until it begins to boil. Once it's boiling, pour straight over the chocolate. The temperature of the cream will melt the chocolate as you stir the two together. Once all the chocolate has melted, leave to cool, then pop in the fridge.

By this time your caramel should now be cooled. If not completely, put it in the fridge for a little while.

6.Spread as much or as little caramel over the top of your cheesecake. I love the caramel part the most so I use as much as I can. Afterwards, place back in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow it to firm up.

7.Again, spread as much or as little of the chocolate ganache over the top of the caramel and then return to the fridge.

Your cheesecake is done! To decorate I sprayed the top of mine with an edible gold spray (just to give it that 'millionaire' effect) and then drizzled with melted dark chocolate.