Spiced SubLime Cheesecakes

Cheesecake = piece of cake!

In the post before I mentioned my love affair with all things ginger and spice. Well as vast as my love is for ginger and spice it is only matched by my vast dread for all things cheesecake. When I am perusing recipes if my eye catches the word cheese followed in close succession by the word cake I hold my breath, squeeze my eyes shut and rapidly flick the pages until the words cease to exist. "What caused this aversion to all things cheesecake?" I hear you ask while taking out your psychologist style notebook and sympathetic look, all the while ushering for me to lie down on the leather chaise. Well the truth is...I have no idea. Perhaps it is because cheese and I have had a turbulent relationship over the years, sometimes lactose-loving and other times lactose-hating. Or perhaps it is because I believed that cheesecakes were incredibly fiddly and difficult to make, from the crumb(ly) base to the trench style cracked tops, they developed a stigma. Well I am here to formerly apologise to all the cheesecakes who suffered from my labeling and neglect. You are creamy, delicious and simple. I would also like to thank the lime cheesecake for restoring my faith in their baking species, and the spiced biscuits left over from the wagon wheels who taught me that a base can be a biscuit (no crushing, additional butter, pressing and praying it doesn't crumble required).

Lime Cheesecake (yields 12 minis) 
 
500g Cream Cheese Light, softened

1/2 cup  sugar

1 tsp.  grated lime zest

4 Tbsp.  fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp.  vanilla

2 eggs

12 ginger spice biscuits (bake these using the wagon wheel biscuit recipe)

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a cupcake tray with patty cases and at the bottom of each place a ginger spice biscuit. You may have to shave a few around the edges to get them to fit, however it should be a snug fit.

To make the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, peel, juice and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs and mix just until blended. Pour the batter into the patty cases (about 3/4 way to the top, as they do slightly rise). Bake for 20 minutes or until firm. They don't go brown on the tops, but when you press lightly they will be firm to the touch and then you know they are ready.

Cool for 5 minutes in the tray, then remove them in their cases onto a cooling tray for an additional 30 minutes (this will stop the cheesecakes from becoming moist and wet, which happens if they are placed in the refrigerator while still warm). Lastly, you will need to refrigerate them for 3 hours or overnight.

To serve simple peel away the patty cases and enjoy these sublime treats!