Ingredients

• 1 vanilla pod
• 450g/1lb soft cream cheese
• 225g/½lb crème fraîche
• 225g/½lb quality white chocolate
• 4 whole large eggs
• butter, enough to grease the tin
• biscuit crumbs, to dust over the buttered tin (use any type you love)

Method

Beat the cream cheese in a bowl or using a mixer until soft, then add the eggs one by one, along with the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod.

Melt the white chocolate over hot water, then fold in the crème fraîche until smooth.

Fold the chocolate mixture into the cream cheese mixture.

Pour into a lined cake tin and bang down on a firm surface to remove any air bubbles.

Bake in a low oven, 150C/300F/Gas 2 until the centre just wobbles and the top is golden brown. If the cheesecake does not colour, do not worry-it is the centre that needs to be just firm.

Allow to rest for several hours to firm up, before turning out and serving.