Chocolate and orange cheesecake

Ingredients

For the base:

• 250g digestive biscuits
• 125g of butter

For the topping:

• 300ml of whipping cream
• 150g of Lily O’Brien’s Milk Chocolate Drops
• 150g of Lily O’Brien’s Dark Chocolate Drops
• 100g of caster sugar
• 1 tsp. of orange essence
• Jar of orange marmalade
• 280g of soft cheese (Philadelphia light)
• Tinned mandarins

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat.
2. Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin in a plastic bag, make sure there is an air release so you don’t get biscuit confetti.
3. Pour the biscuit crumbs into the melted butter and stir until completely covered in butter.
4. Put the mix into a large deep cake tin (preferably with a releasable bottom) and pat down the base with a glass or mug to create a tight flat base of the mix.
5. Then pop in the fridge to help cool and set whilst you make the rest of the cheesecake.
6. To make the topping, whip the cream in a bowl with the caster sugar until it becomes still.
7. Then in a different bowl give the soft cheese a mix until smooth and no longer solid.
8. Add into the whipped cream along with the orange essence.
9. Combine together until fluffy and put to one side.
10. Put chocolate drops into a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water and melt for 2 minutes.
11. Remove from heat and let it stand for a couple of minutes to cool but not solidify.
12. Gently add the chocolate to the cream mix and stir with a spatula.
13. Whisk once more and ensure you have a nice fully combined cheesecake topping.
14. Remove the tin from the fridge and add a thick layer of marmalade
15. Now add the topping mixture to the base and smooth with a spatula.
16. Decorate with drained tinned mandarins and then smother with more melted chocolate drops and then pop back in the fridge to set overnight.
17. Cover with cling film to protect it from air getting to the top whilst it sets in the fridge.

Recipe courtesy of Lily O'Briens

Tips

Place a big dollop of marmalade in a jug, and heat in the microwave for around 30 seconds or until runny to make a great burnt orange tart coulis to pour over the top.