PHILADELPHIA CREAM CHEESE COOKIES RECIPES RECIPES

Steps:

• If you have time to do it the night before, put the orange zest and juice in a bowl with the sultanas. If you don’t have time simply stir the zest, juice and sultanas together and microwave on Medium for 1-2 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease and line the base and sides of a 2lb loaf tin. Whisk together the oil and eggs. Mix together the sugar, flours, mixed spice, cinnamon and bicarb in your largest mixing bowl. Add the sultanas with any juice and zest left in the bowl, grated carrot, walnuts and whisked egg mixture into the dry ingredients, then thoroughly mix with a wooden spoon. Tip into the loaf tin and bake on the middle shelf for 1 hr, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin.
• Once cool, remove from the tin and make the icing. With an electric whisk beat together butter, cinnamon and icing sugar until it comes together and is smooth. It takes a little while to come together (will look like breadcrumbs for a bit). Add the cream cheese and beat briefly until soft and smooth. Be careful not to overbeat or the cream cheese may split and become runny. Spread over the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease the sides and line the base of a deep 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
  2. To make the biscuit base, melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs, then add to the melted butter.
  3. Mix well to coat the crumbs, then tip into the prepared cake tin, spreading it out evenly.
  4. Place in the hot oven for 10 minutes, or until darker in colour, then remove and leave to cool.
  5. Meanwhile, to make the filling, add the tinned cherries and their syrup, the clementine zest and juice and 150g of sugar to a pan over a medium heat.
  6. Cook for around 20 minutes, or until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Leave to cool and set aside.
  7. Separate the egg yolks and whites into 2 separate bowls. Add the remaining 200g of sugar to the yolks, then use an electric whisk to beat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.
  8. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
  9. Place the cream, cream cheese and vanilla extract into a third bowl and beat into soft peaks.
  10. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the cream cheese mixture and gently fold through the egg whites. Spoon the mixture onto the biscuit base, then gently swirl through the cherry syrup.
  11. Place the cheesecake in the freezer to set overnight.
  12. When you’re nearly ready to serve, make the chocolate glaze topping. Place a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, then add the dark chocolate, cream and butter. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally.
  13. Remove the cheesecake from the tin and place on a cake stand.
  14. Pour over the chocolate glaze, then decorate with some gratings of dark chocolate and clementine zest. Serve with a gold leaf and sparklers to make it extra special.