A deliciously decadent Valentine Day treat

Feb 13 2009 by Our Correspondent, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

ALL you need is love, writes Nicki Martin from Brig Farm Shop, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. So said Charles M Schulz and who would disagree?

Since the days of the Aztecs, chocolate has been a gift and associated with passion and love, and was traditionally served at weddings in drink form as a nuptial aid!

This wonderful chocolate cheesecake has 70% dark chocolate buttons from Perth based company, Wicked Chocolate. If this is too rich for you, mix with some milk, plain or white buttons.

I’ve mixed the base with stem ginger biscuits from Scottish based McKenzies to give another layer of intense flavour. Serve with cold, sharp tasting mixed berries.

Wicked Chocolate Cheesecake

150g (5oz) Mckenzie’s Stem Ginger Biscuits

45g (1 1/2 oz) farmhouse butter

150gms Wicked plain chocolate buttons (or mix with milk and white if you prefer)

340gm tub of full fat soft cheese such as ricotta or mascarpone

2 eggs, separated into yolks and whites

200ml tub crème fraiche

60gms castor sugar

3 leaves gelatin

2 tablespoons milk

Use a 20cm loose bottom tin or for the romantics, two smaller love heart shaped tins

Method

BASE: Melt the butter over a low heat. While this is happening, place the biscuits in a plastic food bag and bash with a rolling pin to crush them.

When the butter is melted, remove from the heat and stir in the biscuit crumbs. Once this binds, press the mixture into the base of the tin and put into the fridge.

FILLING: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove it from the heat and let it cool.

Whisk together the soft cheese, yolks, crème fraîche and sugar until smooth.

Prepare the leaves of gelatin as per instructions on the packet.

While they are dissolving, heat the milk in a small saucepan until simmering. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin and add it to the milk. Whisk until it has dissolved.

Stir the gelatin and milk along with the cooled chocolate into the cheese mixture, until it is all thoroughly blended.

In another bowl whisk the egg whites to the soft-peak stage. Fold a tablespoon of egg white into the cheesecake mixture to loosen it, and then carefully fold in the rest of the egg white.

Next pour the mixture on to the prepared base, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight if you can).

Half an hour before serving, take some frozen berries out of the freezer. Serve the cheesecake with berries and dust lightly with cocoa powder