Chocolate & Gingerbread Baked Cheesecake

Makes 6

Ingredients

For the Base

• 150g bourbon biscuits
• 45g butter, melted

For the Filling

• 400g cream cheese
• 65g light brown sugar
• 55g golden caster sugar
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1½ tsp Ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 2 large eggs
• 90g soured cream
• Mini gingerbread shapes to decorate

Method

To make the biscuit base, using a food processer, blitz the biscuits until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Place in a bowl and add the melted butter, stir together until the base begins to stick together.

In the AGA Individual Mini Pie Moulds, divide the biscuit crumb between the 6 moulds and press down to create the base. Place in the refrigerator to set, while making the filling.

To make the filling, in a food mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugars, until creamy, light and pale. Add the flour, spices and treacle and beat until fully incorporated. Add the eggs and soured cream and beat in until fully incorporated. Divide the filling mixture evenly between the prepared pie moulds. Place the pie moulds on a baking sheet.

2 Oven AGA: Place the baking sheet on the grid shelf set on the floor of the Roasting Oven and slide the cold plain shelf on the second set of runners down. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheesecake has set and only has a slight wobble. Leave the cheese cakes in the oven with the door open for around 5 minutes before removing; this prevents cheesecake from cracking or sinking.

3, 4 and 5 Oven AGA:  Place the baking sheet on the grid shelf set on the floor of the Baking Oven for 10 minutes, add the cold plain shelf on runner 4 and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, until the cheesecake has set and only has a slight wobble. Leave the cheese cakes in the oven with the door open for around 5 minutes before removing; this prevents cheesecake from cracking or sinking.

Remove from the oven and allow cooling completely before removing form the tin and decorating with mini gingerbread shapes.

By Alexandra Dibble

AGA Rangemaster Group Home Economist