Apricot Cheesecake
Servings: 8 slices
You'll need
-  60g soft unsalted butter
 
- 140g caster sugar
 
- 280g cream cheese
 
- 60g ground almonds
 
- 60g fine semolina
 
- 2 eggs
 
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
 
- 1 small lemon
 
- 10 apricots
 
- Handful flaked almonds
 
- 20cm cake tin
 
To make it
- Preheat the oven to 190C.
 
- Grease and line the cake tin with greaseproof paper.
 
- Separate the eggs and set aside.
 
- Zest and juice the lemon and set aside.
 
- Chop the apricots (skins on) into small cubes and set aside.
 
- Measure out the butter, sugar and cream cheese together and beat until light and fluffy.
 
- Beat in the egg yolks and set aside.
 
- Now whisk the egg whites til you get stiff peaks. You should be able to hold the bowl over your head without anything dropping out!
 
- Fold in the ground almonds, semolina, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest into the cream mixture.
 
- Now fold in the egg whites.
 
- Pour half the mixture into the tin, then pile in half of the chopped apricots and then pour in the rest of the mixture.
 
- Level out the top, toss over some flaked almonds and then bake for 50 minutes.
 
- While it is baking, make the apricot purée.  Simply heat the remaining apricots with 2 tbsp of water until they are all mushy and melted.
 
- Then purée to remove any lumps.
 
- Once the cheesecake comes out of the oven let it cool for about 15 minutes in the tin and then on a wire rack.  It should be completely cold before cutting.
 
- Serve a slice of cheesecake with a dollop of crème fraiche and a drizzle of apricot purée. Yummm!