A Simple Sweet Tooth......{cheesecake sandwiches}

When wining and dining friends pudding is always my last thought. I think about flavors and cheese and meats way before I think about what's going to finish of the food. This is probably because we are not sweet eaters in my house - I'd rather have cheese. Cheesecake is a good choice for me because it contains cheese (did i mention I love cheese?) an usually a citrus fruit. These are great, they are the easiest pudding in the world and they taste fab, your guests really won't mind that you have gone to so little trouble because the taste is there and you have more time to talk.... and that my friends is the rally reason for gathering around the table to taste and to talk

I have made these with lemons but you can just as easily substitute this for limes and call them key lime pie sandwiches. Just make sure you leave them for those 20 minutes so the biscuits soften slightly - it makes the whole affair a lot less messy!

Cheesecake sandwiches

one pack ginger nuts, or other ginger biscuit of your choice
250g full fat cream cheese
2 - 3 tbsp icing sugar
zest one lemon
juice 1/2 lemon

soften the cream cheese in a bowl, add the icing sugar zest and juice and mix, taste and add more sugar/ lemon juice if needed. if its a bit loose put in fridge to thicken for 30mins or so. take a biscuit and add a dollop of the cream cheese mixture. sandwich another biscuit on top. repeat until all biscuits are used. leave for around 20 minutes so that the biscuits soften slightly and they are easier to eat. devour them.  

A Cheesecake of the chocolate variety......... {Chocolate Cheesecake}

Fact # 1 - I am not great at making puddings look pretty

Fact # 2 - I do make great tasting puddings, so yes, there's that

I made this for a friend's dinner party we went to at the weekend. I always offer to do dessert if I am going to a dinner party. Or the starter. An I always take a bottle or two of wine and some flowers / chocolates for the host. Because it's not easy to host dinner parties but they are such wonderful occasions. I add the baileys because it tastes good but you can leave it out if so wish. The inspiration for this recipe came  from Lorraine Pascale's Home Cooking Made Easy 

Chocolate Cheesecake 

450g chocolate digestives or oreo cookies, crushed 

75g butter, melted 

800g cream cheese 

5 TBSP baileys liqueur 

2 TBSP icing sugar

500g milk chocolate 

100g white chocolate 

vegetable oil 

take the crushed biscuits and the melted butter and combine in a bowl. press the mixture in greased spring form tin, cover and place in fridge for half an hour. combine the icing sugar, cream cheese and baileys in a bowl. melt 350g of the chocolate in a bowl (a little vegetable oil helps) and spoonful by spoonful add the cream cheese mixture in the melted chocolate until combined and you have a silky smooth chocolate mixture. pour on top of your biscuit base, level off and then refrigerate for a further hour or so. melt the remaining milk chocolate and white chocolate (separately) and spread the milk chocolate on top of the cheesecake. take the white chocolate and pipe thin lines on to the cheese cake and use a cocktail stick to drag the pattern - this is where I struggle to make things look pretty, but who cares, everyone loved the taste! 

Today I'm linking up with Fitness Blondie - I know this isn't healthy but it's great as a treat! Happy Hump Day!