In keeping with my current trend of giving gifts of food, I offered to make my niece's 21st birthday cake. (I had offered to make my father's 80th birthday cake but my sisters sadly rejected the offer on the grounds of distant memories of messy kitchens). However, she wanted a cheesecake. Not a Sicilian ricotta cheesecake, but a baked philadelphia cheese-cake and a biscuit (oreo!!) base. Now, I love gourmet foods and I'm not a snob about food. I love the peppermint chocolate slices my neighbour gives me, home-made stew and dumplings, and I'll even go a meat pie (once a year). But this was a challenge, to make something special from the mundane, and this was the result:
One layer of oreo biscuit crust , a layer of baked cheesecake, a layer of baked creme fraiche topping, a layer of strawberries set in a wine jelly, and a strawberry coulis. And all without a recipe. But I do remember what I did, and will post it soon.
