Stella Quinn

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Vera’s Mango Cheesecake

(adapted from a Nigella recipe)

 

BASE

50 g ( 2 oz) rolled oats

100 g (4 oz) granita biscuits (or Graham crackers)

100 g (3 ½ oz) butter, melted

½ cup mixed nuts

 

TO MAKE BASE

 

Whizz up all ingredients in a blender and press into a springform pan (9 inch diameter), then refrigerate. (If I don’t have nuts or oats to hand, I just make Nigella’s base which is 8 oz graham crackers, 3 tblspn brown sugar, 1 stick butter)

 

PREHEAT OVEN: 175 celsius (or 325 Fahrenheit)

 

FILLING

650 g (1 ½ lb) cream cheese

75 g (3 oz) white sugar

4 eggs

2 tspn vanilla

400 g (1 lb) pureed fresh mango (to make approx. 2 cups)

1 tblsp fresh lime juice

 

TO MAKE FILLING

 

Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add sugar, then add eggs one at a time beating until mixed. Then add vanilla, mango and lime, beat until smooth.

 

TO BAKE

 

Pour the filling into the base and bake for approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes (can be as long as 1 hour and 45 depending on how juicy the mangoes are – I cook mine until the top only has a bit of a wobble).

 

I serve mine with a bowl of sliced strawberries and kiwi fruit on the side.

 

PRO TIP:

I am too lazy for this step, but apparently it should be cooked in a “bath”: to do so, place the filled springform pan on two sheets of foil, and bring the sides up so there is a “nest” of foil around the outside of the pan. This foil-wrapped pan then goes into a large baking dish, boiling water is poured in the baking dish to form the “bath” and then cook as above. Caution: this is HEAVY.