A deliciously easy cheesecake, made by our very own Helen and Alison from the lab.

INGREDIENTS: 

• 100g Longley Farm Jersey butter, melted

• 250g digestive biscuits

• 1 vanilla pod

• 3 x 200g pots of Longley Farm Cream Cheese

• 100g icing sugar

• 1 x 250ml pot of Longley Farm Double Cream

For the topping

• 400g strawberries

• 25g icing sugar

METHOD: 

The Base

Butter and line a 23cm loose-bottomed tin with baking parchment.

Crush the digestive biscuits by putting them in a plastic food bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.

In a bowl, mix the crumbs with the melted butter, make sure the crumbs are completely coated.

Press the biscuit mix firmly into the base of the tin to create an even layer.

Chill in the fridge for 1 hour to set firmly.

The Vanilla

Remove the vanilla seeds from the pod: slice the pod in half lenghtways leaving the tip intact so the two halves are still joined.

Scrape the seeds out using the back of a kitchen knife.

The Filling

Place the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Pour in the double cream and continue beating until the mixture is completely combined.

Spoon the filling onto the biscuit base, working from the edges inwards and making sure that there are no air bubbles.

Smooth the top of the cheesecake down and leave it to set in the fridge overnight.

Serving

Bring the cheesecake to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

To remove it from the tin, place the base on top of a can then cradually pull the sides of the tin down.

Slip the cheesecake onto a plate.

Puree half the strawberries with a blender with the icing sugar and 1 tsp water then sieve.

Decorate the cheesecake with the remaining strawberries and the sauce.