INGREDIENTS

Meringue

2 egg whites

115 gms caster sugar

Biscuit base

200 gms Ginger biscuits - crushed

100 gms Soft butter

Cream cheese filling

300 gms Full fat cream cheese

65 gms Icing sugar

1 Lemon, juice and zest

250 ml double cream

Finish

½ Jar Good quality lemon curd

Try and make the meringue the day before or you can of course buy some ready made.

METHOD

 Preheat the oven to 130°C Fan

 Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until the mix holds its shape.

 Add the sugar slowly and keep whisking until the meringue is smooth, stiff and glossy.

 Using a star nozzle pipe large shells of meringue onto a lined baking tray.

 Place the meringues into the oven and reduce the temperature to 110°C Fan, bake for 3 -4 hours.

 Turn out the oven and leave the meringues in until the oven is cold.

 Blitz the biscuits in a food processor or place in a strong polythene bag and crush with a spoon

 Melt the butter in a pan and add the crumbs, mix well together.

 Press the mixture into the base of a 20cm / 8 inch spring form tin and chill.

 Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, zest and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth.

 Whip the double cream until it is just holding its shape,  then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.

 Spread  the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth the top.

 Place it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

 To serve the cheesecake, remove it from the tin and spread over the lemon curd.

 Place the rosettes of meringue around the edge, lightly crush more meringue into largish chunks and sprinkle over the middle.

 Finish with a sprig of mint.