Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 150°C (convection oven). In the blender, blend the biscuits into crumbs. Melt the butter in the microwave and mix with the biscuit crumbs and cocoa to make a dark base. Line the base of the dish with parchment paper then line base and the sides with the biscuit mixture. Here’s a little trick: use a glass tumbler to pack the biscuit tightly against the base and the sides. Blind bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Meanwhile mix the St Moret and the eggs in a bowl. Mix the ingredients together to form a smooth mixture.

Divide into two equal portions: Add the white chocolate and a few drops of vanilla into one of the portions, add the coffee dissolved in a small amount of very hot water to the other portion with the sugar. Transfer the white mix onto the biscuit base, then carefully pour on (in a pastry bag) the coffee layer and bake at 150°C on the middle shelf for approximately one hour.

The baking is important: the cheesecake must not be over-cooked or it may turn out very dry. The centre of the cheesecake should still be a little “wobbly”. The whole thing will firm up, don’t worry!

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run the blade of a small knife between the biscuit and the dish then leave to chill. Ideally the cheesecake should be left in the fridge overnight, but if you are pressed for time, one to two hours will be enough.

For the meringue: beat the egg whites into stiff peaks then gradually add the caster sugar. The whites should be quite dense. Transfer into a pastry bag to finish the cheesecake. As the cheesecake is already cooked, simply brown the tips using a cook’s blowtorch (be careful, it burns quickly).