Raspberry and Whisky Cheesecake

Here's a simple cheesecake that uses two ingredients for which Scotland is well known - whisky (of course) and raspberries. Two thirds of the raspberries grown in Britain come from Scotland, many of them from Blairgowrie. Instead of raspberries, you can use other soft fruit such as blackcurrants or loganberries. The quantities below should provide six portions of cheesecake.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 1 drunken cheesecake

Ingredients

• Ingredients for the Base

• 4  ounces butter
• 8  ounces  digestive biscuits (also known as Graham crackers in some parts of the world)
• 1  tablespoon  Scotch whisky

• Ingredients for the Filling

• 8  ounces cream cheese
• 2  ounces caster sugar (granulated sugar in North America)
• 10  fluid ounces  double cream
• 1  tablespoon  Scotch whisky

• Ingredients for the Topping

• 8  ounces raspberries
• 2  tablespoons honey
• 3  fluid ounces  Scotch whisky
• 3  teaspoons arrowroot
• 1  teaspoon caster sugar (superfine sugar in North America)
• 5  fluid ounces  whipping cream
• 1  tablespoon  Scotch whisky

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, add the tablespoon of whisky, crush the digestive biscuits (Graham crackers) and add to the pan.
2. Mix well and then press into a greased, loose-bottomed 8-inch cake tin and chill for about half an hour in the refrigerator.
3. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together.
4. Whip the double cream and whisky until softly stiff and fold into the cream mixture.
5. Spread over the biscuit base and chill.
6. Soak the raspberries in the honey and whisky for about 30 minutes.
7. Strain the raspberries.
8. You will need about 4 fluid ounces of juice and you may have to top it up with whisky if necessary.
9. Take two ounces of juice and the arrowroot and mix to form a paste.
10. Heat the rest of the juice with the sugar until almost boiling and then stir in the arrowroot paste and continue stirring over a low heat until the glaze is thick.
11. Then stir the raspberries into the glaze and leave until cool.
12. Spread the raspberries and glaze over the base.
13. Whip the cream mixed with a tablespoon of whisky until softly stiff and then decorate the cheesecake.
14. Finally, sprinkle a tablespoon of malt whisky over the top just before serving.