* No Bake Lime Cheesecake

This is my oldest BFF's recipe. The first time I ate it, we were having a girly night in with friends, curry and alcohol - and I had seconds. I'd have gone in for thirds, but they were all already open mouthed at what my BFF termed as my "Amazing capacity for sweet things"... this from the person who worships at the alter of the Goddess of *All Things Chips and Dips* - and has done for the 28 years that I have known her.

I digress.

I begged for the recipe.

It was another year (at least) before I managed to badger her into submission. With the recipe came strict instructions to NEVER use low fat cream cheese - because the recipe wouldn't work... of course I had to try it at least once with low fat cream cheese... just to be sure...

... she was right. Dammit. Which was NOT fun.

Now that I have the recipe - I make it for all of us at least once a month. Both Neil and Josh love it (as do I), and it's too easy not to include it on a regular basis.

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No Bake Lime Cheesecake Recipe

Serves 8 - 10

Prep time - 10 - 15 minutes

Chill time - 3 hours total

You will need

23cm loose bottomed flan case

A whisk and bowl/Kenwood chef/Kitchen Aid

A rolling pin

Some aggression

A plastic bag

A small bowl or saucepan

Ingredients

90g butter

A generous tablespoon of golden syrup

200g digestive biscuits

100g chocolate digestive biscuits

400g FULL FAT Philadelphia

400g tin of condensed milk

Zest & juice of 4 limes

30g dark chocolate

Method

Melt the butter and syrup together, either in a saucepan on a gentle heat - or nuke it in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Put all of the biscuits together in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin until the biscuits are rough, rustic crumbs.

Combine the crumbs with the melted butter and syrup. Line the base of a 23cm loose based flan/tart case with the buttery crumbs. Press firmly into the case then chill for about an hour.

Whisk together the condensed milk, cream cheese. Then add the lime juice and zest - at this stage it does thicken - and whisk to combine. Pour onto the biscuit base and spread evenly across the top. Chill for 1 hour.

Melt the chocolate on a medium power level in your microwave for about 1 minute (or use the old fashioned bowl over a sauce pan of simmering water method) and drizzle over the top of the cheesecake - chill for another hour (at least). Remove from flan case.

GO GO GO.... try not to eat it all at once. You'll be very ill. NO... I haven't tried to eat it all at once. Though I have been tempted.

NOTE:

1. You can use a food processor to make the crumb base, but it'll be very fine crumbs that compact rather densely and make hard work out of cutting into the cheesecake.

2. I think Graham Crackers??? are the *across the pond* equivalent of digestive biscuits.

3. I don't put the lime zest in mine. I don't like it.

4. The longer you leave this to chill, the firmer it becomes. So the further in advance you can make this - the better.