Chocolate Apricot Cheesecake

 

Chocolate Apricot Cheesecake

 

Makes 12 slices, 4.5 points each slice

 

40g (1.5 oz) dark chocolate

90g (3.25 oz) polyunsaturated margarine

2 tsp cocoa powder

12 large digestive biscuits

300g (10.5 oz) curd cheese

175 g (6 oz) low fat plain fromage frais

300g (10.5 oz) canned apricots, drained, reserving 6 tblsp of juice

2 tblsp fresh orange juice

1.5 tblsp sugar

1 sachet gelatine

2 egg whites

pinch of cream of tartar

 

1.    Break half the chocolate into a cup then stand it in a saucepan of simmering water until it melts. Melt the margerine in a small saucepan, then take it off the heat.

2.    Stir the cocoa powder into the melted margarine, add the melted chocolate and stir well. Break the remaining chocolate into a cup and set aside.

3.    Crush the biscuits to make crumbs then stir them into the margarine and chocolate. Spoon the crumb mixture into a 20 cm (8 inch) spring-form tin and spread it firmly over the base.

4.    Put the curd chees, fromage frais, apricots, half the reserve juice, orange juice and sugar into a food processor. Process to make a puree.

5.    Pour the remaining reserved juice into a cup then sprinkle in the gelatine. Stir then stand the cup  in a saucepan of simmering water until the gelatine dissolves.

6.    Add the dissolved gelatine in the puree in the food processor. Blend once again then pour it into a bowl and chill.

7.    Whisk the egg whites together with the cream of tartar into soft peaks. Gently fold them into the chilled puree then pour this mixture into the tin.

8.     Grate the remaining chocolate into a cup and stand it in a saucepan of simmering water until it melts. Using a fork, drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the cheesecake then swirl to make an attractive design. Chill until completely set.

9.     To serve, remove the side of the tin, then slide the cheesecake onto a flat serving plate.