A tangy cheesecake flavoured with geranium leaves and beautifully decorated with its flowers. It's so easy to make and is a delight to serve on any occasion.
Ingredients
For the base:
- 175g (6oz) digestive biscuits
- 90g (3oz) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 150ml (¼ pint) double cream
- 20 lemon geranium leaves
- 5 sheets leaf gelatine, softened in a bowl of water
- 150ml (¼ pint) soured cream
- 300g tub cream cheese
- 60g (2oz) caster sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- Lemon geranium leaves and flowers and violas, to decorate
Method
- To make the base: Crush the biscuits (in a bag, using a rolling pin). Mix in the melted butter. Press into the base of the tin. Leave in the fridge to set.
- To make the filling: Warm the cream with the torn geranium leaves in a pan until it just simmers. Turn off the heat and leave for 30 mins for the flavours to infuse. Strain off and discard the leaves. Reheat the cream and add the gelatine, whisking well until dissolved. Pour into a large bowl and add the soured cream, cream cheese and sugar. Beat until smooth.
- Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold about a third into the cheese mixture, then fold in the rest. Spoon the mixture over the biscuit base. Chill until set.
- Bring to room temperature 30 mins before serving. Remove from the tin. Decorate the top with lemon geranium leaves and flowers, and violas.
Top Tip for making Lemon geranium cheesecake
Lemon verbena leaves release more flavour thangeranium leaves, but don’t stay fresh for decorating the top very long. To make a lemon cheesecake without the leaves, add finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon to the mixture.