Tuesday Means Treat Day Right ?

I found this recipe on Pinterest, where all life questions and cravings are answered, and instantly wanted to whip out my apron and baking kit so that I could get my Betty Crocker on.

Before I post about this recipe I think it is important to say that this recipe isn't mine, it was shared by 'Pretty Simple Sweet' on Pinterest (I'll include the link here), I'm just simply spreading the cheese cakey goodness that she's opened our eyes to.

I've tried many a cheesecake in my lifetime, but none quite like this. The biscoff topping introduced something completely new to the taste because it was the perfect balance between creamy and sweet (plus we don't have biscoff here in the UK), which completely satisfied my tastebuds... and my midnight cravings. I chose to not use the gelatine and so went with a traditional filling recipe but it tasted yummy all the same.

So if you feel like a sweet treat as we approach hump day and want a slight twist on traditional cheesecake, try out the recipe below which I've linked here again here and pasted for you below. You can thank me and of course Pretty Simple Sweet later ;)

Ingredients

Crust:

• 250 g/8.8 oz Bischoff cookies ( I had to buy mine on Amazon because the UK doesn't stock them :( excessive? yes.... worth it? also yes )
• 80 g/2.8 oz unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 2 pounds (900g) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (200g/7 oz.) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon, optional

Topping:

• 300 g/10.5 oz (about 1 cup) Biscoff cookie butter spread

Instructions

1. Make the crust: Pop the cookies in a bowl and smash to your heart's content until you have a mixture of finely ground and course crumbs, or if you're feeling lazy a food processor also does the trick. Transfer the crumbs into a medium sized bowl containing the melted butter and mix together until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Press the mixture into a 9-inch baking tin and smooth it out until it's spread evenly along the bottom of the pan. When you're happy with your handiwork, place the pan in the oven and leave to bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
3. Make the filling: To make life easier, I used an electric mixer for this part. First, beat the cream cheese for about 1-2 minutes to get rid of any lumps and bumps then one by one add the sugar, eggs, cream, vanilla extract and lemon zest - beating in-between each new addition to ensure that the mixture remains smooth and lump free. 
4. Pour the batter over the crust (make sure it's fully cooled!) and spread evenly. increase the heat of the oven to 230 C and pop the mixture back into the oven for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 110 C and bake for another hour until the sides are set but the centre is a little wobbly and leave to set at room temperature for 15 minutes.
5. Make the topping: Place the biscoff butter spread in a bowl and microwave for several seconds until melted. It should be like a thick liquid, that to be honestly already smells good enough to eat. Wait for the the melted biscoff to cool and pour over the warm cheesecake and leave it to completely cool at room temperature before placing it in the the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to set completely.
6. To be honest my cheesecake was demolished within the day but that's probably because my sweet tooth basically has a mind of its own so if you are not a sugar master like me, cheesecake can be left in the fridge for 3-4 days. Always do serve it cold and refrigerated though because if left at room temperature for too long it softens and isn't as yummy.