This strawberry cheesecake is a Valentine dream. Made with plenty of white chocolate, strawberries and cream

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp sunflower oil

200g/7oz digestive biscuits

100g/3½oz unsalted butter

½ tsp ground cinnamon

100g/3½oz white chocolate, roughly chopped

400g/14oz strawberries, trimmed, plus extra to decorate

300g/10½oz full-fat cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest only

1 tbsp runny honey or maple syrup

200ml/7fl oz double cream

 

METHOD

Brush the inside of a 20cm/8in springform tin with the sunflower oil, and line the base with a disc of baking parchment. Put the digestive biscuits into a sealable freezer bag. Push all the air out and seal the bag. Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin, until they are reduced to sand-like crumbs.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the biscuit crumbs and cinnamon. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the tin. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.Chop 150g/5oz of the strawberries in half from top to bottom and arrange around the edge of the prepared tin, cut side-up. Chop the remaining berries into small pieces. 

 

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, either over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water, or in a microwave.Beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, lemon zest and honey in a mixing bowl. Stir in the chopped strawberries. 

In another bowl, whisk the double cream until it holds a floppy peak.Fold the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture, followed by the double cream. Add more honey if needed. Spoon the filling into the tin, being careful not to move the strawberries on the edge. Spread level with a palette knife or the back of a spoon, cover with cling film and chill overnight, until firm.

RECIPE: BBC Good Food