For a sensational dessert or teatime treat with an Italian twist, this gorgeous ricotta cheesecake by Mario Matassa should fit the bill…
Serves 4
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 45 minutes
Ingredients:
• 200g plain biscuits
• 75g unsalted butter
• 250g ricotta
• 75g icing sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs, beaten
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• grated zest of ½ a lemon
• 200g cherries, stones removed
Instructions:
1 To make the cheesecake base, place the biscuits in a food processor and whiz until fine crumbs are formed. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the biscuit crumbs and stir well. Spoon the mixture out into a well-lined square (20 x 20cm) baking tin and press down well. Place the tin in the fridge to chill while you make the cheesecake filling.
2 Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4. Combine the ricotta with the sugar, eggs, flour and lemon zest. Mix well. Once the base has cooled, pour over the ricotta mixture and arrange the cherries on top, pushing them down gently into the mixture. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Leave the cake to cool in the oven with the door open.
TIP Cherries will be the first to come into season but you can, of course, use any stone fruit for this recipe, as long as they are firm and not too ripe. A cherry pitter could be a wise investment, though some people have been known to make do with a paper clip! The preparation time quoted for this recipe does not include the cherry-pitting!
Find more Italian-inspired recipes here