Recipe time

Well there has been a fair bit of interest in the little cheesecakes so I will share the recipe with you. When I was planning what I would make for the morning tea I originally thought I'd make the cherry cheesecake from Nigella Express but I remembered that it was quite hard to slice neatly so I thought of these ones that I made years ago and spent at least half an hour looking for the recipe! It comes from the September 2005 delicious magazine.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes makes 12

1 cup (about 10) finely ground Oreo biscuits (including filling)

40g unsalted butter

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

2tbs icing sugar, sifted

375g cream cheese

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

3 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract



Preheat oven to 170degreesC. Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases.

Mix ground Oreos and butter in a bowl. Divide mixture among paper cases, pressing down well. Bake for 5 mins, then remove and cool.

Mash the raspberries to a pulp with the back of a fork. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, pressing down well, then discard seeds. Stir in the icing sugar.

Place the cream cheese in bowl of an electric mixer (I love my KitchenAid!), beat until light and fluffy. Add the caster sugar in a slow, steady stream, beating until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each edition, then beat in vanilla. Pour cheese mixture over biscuit bases. Place small drops (about 1/2 teaspoon) berry puree on top of cakes and use a wooden skewer to carefully swirl through cheese mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes until just set. Open oven door and allow cakes to cool completely in switched off oven.

I had people dropping in to my office to say how much they loved them and I was sent two emails about them. Enjoy!

After five long days of fever Bethany finally woke up cool this morning so it will be back to daycare for her and work for me tomorrow. Actually, I was able to work yesterday because Andrew was at home. I work one in five Saturdays and really enjoy it. It is a very different day at the library because there are only four of us in the whole library and I am on the reference desk all day. Michelle had bought me a lovely big cappucino and we did the quiz in the paper. Someone brought back a Poirot on DVD so I brought it home to watch. As it turned out there was already a Poirot on TV and tonight there is a Miss Marple so I can save the DVD for the many nights when all television is rubbish. It sounds like I am a big fan of crime but in fact I read, and watch, for character and setting. I like the Agatha Christie films because I love the European setting and the period. I don't read crime generally speaking. I have finally started reading Northern Lights (The Golden Compass for my American reader) because it has been so very controversial, particularly in Christian circles. So far I am enjoying it very much and am not the least bit tempted to become an atheist, but I will say more when I have finished it, or maybe the whole trilogy.

While I was at work yesterday Joss and Toby both had parties to attend. They made the cards before breakfast. They arrived home just after I came home from work, laden with lolly bags and Jossie had eaten so much she felt ill! She wanted to go to bed without dinner but after a lovely bath she felt she could manage a piece of toast. That reminds me of many overeating adventures with Janice when we would eat until we felt sick and as soon as the nausea passed we would begin eating again. They were the good old days...