When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing blogs or cooking for the lovely Mr G, this is wha

Baker & Foodie Content Creator

Hi.

My name is Lee, welcome to my pages. I hope we can have fun together?

When I’m not developing recipes for others, writing guest blogs, writing my own blog, or even trying to learn how to paint, I’m usually spending time with the amazing Mr G (my husband) or with my lovely daughter or my lovely son (very proud mum).

What is this all about? Great question. This site is about real cooking and baking, real recipes and real mistakes.

No filters here, (although i’d love to find a filter that can take ten years worth of laugh lines away. Just me, whats happening, and whatever cameras or phone i have to hand .

There are many things that get under my bonnet and wiggle around, one of those is food waste. If i buy ingredients specifically for a recipe, and i only need a small amount of the ingredients, i want to be able to use the rest up and not have to throw them away. My mum used to say , “Waste not Want not” is that still a saying ?

For me, waste is not just about using up all the ingredients. What about leftover food? If i’m able , i hope to give ideas as to how to use up any leftovers too.

Be Brave

Cooking isn’t hard , neither is baking, its all about being brave and being ok with making mistakes

Baked Blackberry Cheesecake with Chocolate Digestive Biscuit Base

Baked Blackberry Cheesecake with Chocolate Digestive Biscuit Base

Lee Majhen-Todd

I used the decoration theme of more is, well, more, when it came to adding something to decorate this cheesecake.

 I did get a little carried away with the whipped cream and the blackberries, and the gooseberries, but that was just because I had them and didn’t want to waste them!

 Do whatever you want to make it look pretty or take the opposite view to mine and leave it to show its natural beauty.

 It’s a pretty easy dish to make, and tasted great with or without the berries.

 Of course, there is the option of using different berries.

Try blueberries, they are so delicious as a stand-alone berry, added to a deep creamy cheesecake, they are really great!

 Go on, give it a go, and enjoy your sweet life!

A little bit over the top on the decoration

 What You Need

  • 250g Butter - Melted

  • 350g Chocolate Digestive Biscuits

  • 750g Cream Cheese

  • 215g Castor Sugar

  • 2tsp Vanilla Extract

  • Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon

  • 2tbsp Plain Flour

  • 4 Large Eggs

  • 300ml Sour Cream

  • Pinch of salt

  • 2 Punnets Fresh Blackberries

  • Extra fruit to decorate

  • Double Cream - Whipped - For decoration

Mix it all up

 How It’s Done

  • Pre-heat the oven to 140c

  • Grease a 23cm spring form tin

  • Cut out a circle of non-stick parchment paper and place in the bottom of the tin

  • Place the biscuits into a food processor and whiz until the biscuits are very fine

  • Melt the butter and mix with the biscuit crumbs until all of the biscuit crumbs are coated with the butter

  • Pour the butter crumbs into the prepared tin and using the back of the spoon or the bottom of a flat glass, push down the crumbs until they are

  • Layer the fresh blackberries on top of the biscuit base and set aside until needed

  • Place the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, lemon juice, rind, flour & sour cream into a bowl and mix really well.

  • Add the eggs and again mix until everything is just mixed together – Don’t over mix

  • Carefully pour the cheesecake mix over the blackberries and smooth out the surface

  • Place the cheese cake pan onto a large oven tray and place it into the hot oven

  • Bake for 75-80minutes until just set around the edges and the centre still has a little wobble.

  •   One baked, turn the oven off, open the door a little – Keep the door ajar

  • Leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool for 2 hours

  • After the two hours are up, loosen the edges of the cheesecake by running a thin knife around the edges

  • Chill in the fridge for 4 hours-or overnight.

  • To serve, carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin, remove the baking paper from the bottom

  • Place the cheesecake onto a serving plate and decorate with whipped cream, blackberries and anything else you want to add. – See Tip Box

Lay out a layer of blackberries on top of the biscuits

 Tip Box

  • Decoration – I decorated the top of this cheesecake with blackberries , whipped cream and some gooseberries.

Beautiful blackberry bottom

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