Instructions

1. For the base, line the bottom of a 20cm (8inch) round springform cake tin with parchment paper. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl, mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter, make sure all the crumbs are coated in butter.
2. Spoon crumb mixture into the baking tin and spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the tin. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon until base is even and level. Refrigerate while you make the cheesecake.
3. Purée 300g of the raspberries then pass the purée through a sieve set over a bowl to remove the seeds. Use the back of a spoon to help press the liquid through the sieve. You should end up with about 220g of seedless purée in the bowl. Discard what’s left in the sieve.
4. Remove 100g of the purée and set it aside for the cheesecake mixture.
5. Take the remaining +- 120g of purée and place it in a small saucepan with the caster sugar and cornflour. Whisk to combine and to remove any lumps. Set it over a medium high heat, stirring continuously, until it starts to steam.
6. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook whilst stirring for 4-5 minutes. You want it to be just thick enough that if you drop a small amount on a plate that it stays in a neat bead and doesn’t spread out. Remove from heat and leave to cool (transferring into a bowl will help it cool quicker, or sitting the saucepan in an ice-bath).
7. For the cheesecake, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, cream, 100g saved raspberry purée, icing sugar and vanilla. Whisk slowly with an electric mixer at first so that it doesn’t splatter everywhere, but once mostly combined, increase speed to high and whisk until mixture is thick and holds soft peaks, 3-5minutes. Take 100g of the remaining raspberries and cut them in halves. Fold these raspberries through the cheesecake mixture. Pour mixture into the cake tin over the set base then smooth the top with a spatula.
8. Take the cooled cooked coulis and fill a piping back or a clean syringe (we used a glass eye dropper that we got at a pharmacy). Starting in the middle of the cheesecake, pipe or drop small dots of coulis in a spiral pattern, working your way to the edge of the cheesecake. Make sure to leave a bit of space between each drop. You can make the dots larger as you work your way outwards.
9. Save the remaining coulis to serve as a sauce with the cheesecake.
10. Now, take a sterilised sewing needle or a toothpick (nothing thicker than a toothpick), and starting from the centre dot, drag the needle or toothpick through all of the dots in a continuous spiral until you’ve connected all of the dots, as the needle or toothpick goes through the middle of each dot, it will drag the coulis and create a heart pattern.
11. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight. When ready to serve, use a sharp knife and run it around the edge of the tin then carefully remove the collar of the springform pan. Place cheesecake on a serving plate and decorate with the remaining whole raspberries. If not serving immediately, keep refrigerated.