baked cheesecake with blueberries

I have watched Rachel Allen on cooking channels for quite a while now. I love her style. Everything looks cosy comfy in her kitchen, from her drool-over kitchen equipment to her Cath Kidston aprons and soft Irish tones! What's not to love.

I watch her cookery school on tv and like to imagine that I'm there. She has such a good teaching way. Kind of makes you feel like you've just popped round to a friends house and she is showing you how to make a passed-down old family recipe, over a cup of tea and a friendly chit chat, oh and of course a nibble on whatever it is you have learnt to bake that afternoon!

Imagine my delight to receive, as a birthday gift from Mr H, her yummy book, Bake.

This baked blueberry cheesecake caught my eye straight away. I'm a huge cheesecake fan. The chilled and the baked version. I love them all.

As Miss Ella had shown a profound love of blueberries recently, and as because of this the fridge was stocked to bursting with ripe purple/blue berries, well, it felt wrong not to make this cheesecake.

It was a huge hit at Ella's first birthday party on sunday ( the second party I might add!) and was quite easy to make and looked so pretty! Yum!

Baked Cheesecake with Blueberries


175g (6oz) digestive biscuits
75g (3oz) butter, melted
175g (6oz) blueberries, plus extra for decorating
450g (1lb) cream cheese
150g (5oz) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Icing sugar, to dust

24cm (9½") diameter spring-form/loose-bottomed tin

Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF), Gas mark 4.
Butter the sides and base of the cake tin.

Place the biscuits in a food processor and whiz until quite fine. Alternatively place them in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Mixed the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and press down into the base of the tin so that it is nice and even. Spread the blueberries over the base and allow to chill in the fridge while you make the topping.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and the eggs together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. pour over the top of the blueberries and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until it is pale golden and should only wobble very slightly when you gently shake the tin.

Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen it and carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle over a few blueberries, if you wish, then dust with icing sugar.

Cut into slices to serve. The cheesecake is best served at room temperature.