Eton mess cheesecake

Method

1. Preparation

   Lightly grease and line the base and sides of a 23 cm springform cake tin with removable base with baking paper.

2. Base

   Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz to finely ground. Add the melted butter and blitz to combine. Spread into the base of prepared tin, pressing and smoothing with the back of a spoon to make an even surface. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Filling

   Soak the gelatine leaves in a small heatproof bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, or until softened. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of almost simmering water. Remove pan from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Drain the gelatine leaves, squeezing out any excess water. Return to the bowl and set over a saucepan of almost simmering water. Turn off the heat and stand for 1-2 minutes, until melted. Set aside. Whip the cream, using an electric mixer, until soft peaks form. Set aside. Place the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a food processor and blend, until smooth. Gradually pour in the melted chocolate and melted gelatine, blending to incorporate. Transfer into a medium bowl and fold through the cream. Pour over the prepared base. Firmly tap the tray on the bench to remove any air bubbles. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to overnight, until set.

4. Raspberry coulis

   Place the raspberries, sugar and water into a small saucepan over low heat. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until raspberries lose their shape and liquid becomes syrupy. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, using a spoon to press the pulp through. Discard the seeds. Coulis should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, if too thin gently simmer to reduce slightly, if too thick, add a little water. Set aside to cool.

5. Decorating

   Whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla together, until soft peaks form. To decorate, top the cheesecake with spoonsful of cream. Scatter with broken meringue, strawberries and raspberries. Drizzle over the raspberry coulis.