Cherry Cheesecake

I've made this recipe for years, though I don't make cheesecake much these days due to cals involved! If you like your crumb mix up the sides, double the cookies and butter, and the filling doubles easily if you want a deeper cake. No need to double the topping. Prep time includes baking and cooling off the base.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 125  g  chocolate ripple biscuits, finely crushed (plain un-iced chocolate cookies)
• 60  g butter, melted
• 1 (425 g) can  pitted  black cherries
• 1 (3 1/2ounce) packet cherry gelatin (Jell-o)
• 3⁄4 cup boiling water
• 250  g cream cheese
• 1⁄4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 1  cup evaporated milk, well chilled
• 4  teaspoons lemon juice
• 4  teaspoons kirsch liqueur
• 4  teaspoons arrowroot (corn starch) or 4  teaspoons cornflour (corn starch)
• 4  teaspoons kirsch liqueur, extra
• 4  teaspoons caster sugar, extra
•  whipped cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Combine crushed biscuits and melted butter; mix well.
3. Press over the base of a 20cm spring form pan.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Cool.
6. Drain cherries, reserve juice.
7. Dissolve jelly in the boiling water then cool.
8. Beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.
9. Add cooled jelly and mix well.
10. Whip evaporated milk until thick, add lemon juice, kirsch and jelly mixture beating constantly.
11. Fold in cherries, pour into prepared crumb crust and chill for at least 6 hours.
12. Blend arrowroot with reserved cherry juice (about 3/4 cup).
13. Bring to the boil stirring constantly.
14. Remove from the heat, add the extra kirsch and caster sugar.
15. Cool.
16. Spoon over the top of the cheesecake.
17. Just before serving, decorate with whipped cream.