Curd Cheesecake with Greek Yoghurt, Honey and Pistachios

Well, the title says it all, and you can imagine what a brilliant combination of flavours and textures this is. It's quite simply one of the best cheesecakes ever, and perfect for parties, as it's quite large. It's also extremely good topped with summer fruits, in which case add 2 oz (50 g) of caster sugar to the curd cheese and top with 1 lb (450 g) of any mixture of soft fruit, then dust with icing sugar before serving. Don't forget that cheesecakes are best left in the warmth of the oven to get cold, as this stops them from cracking, so you need to think ahead.

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This recipe is taken from How to Cook Book Two.

Method

First of all make the cheesecake base: first melt the butter in a saucepan over a very low heat, then spread the biscuits out flat in a polythene bag and crush them firmly with a rolling pin. Next tip the crumbs into a bowl, along with the chopped pistachios. Now add the Grape-Nuts and melted butter and mix everything together, then spread the mixture over the base of the tin, pressing it down very firmly, and pop it on the baking sheet and into the oven for 20 minutes.

Now, in another bowl, combine the curd cheese, eggs and vanilla and beat with an electric hand whisk until the mixture is smooth and velvety. Then pour this into the tin, on top of the crumbs, smooth the top and place it back on the baking sheet on the centre shelf of the oven for 30 minutes, then turn the oven off and let the cheesecake get quite cold in the oven. After that it should be covered and chilled for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

To serve, unmould the cheesecake, spread the surface with the yoghurt first, then drizzle with the honey and scatter the pistachios over. Serve with extra honey at the table to spoon over.