Banoffee Cheesecake

'Nuff said.

Banoffee Cheesecake a la Nigella!

You'll need:

2 1/2 cups cookie crumbs (digestive biscuits, graham crackers... that kinda thing...)
75g soft butter

4 overripe bananas, mashed (it's worth deliberately allowing bananas to get overripe for this recipe! :) )
1/4 cup lemon juice (stir this into the mashed 'nanas) + 2 tsp vanilla

680g cream cheese @ room temperature
6 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 tin caramel/dulce de leche

Set over to 160 degrees C. Make sure you have a large roasting tin to serve as a bain marie... Line the outside of a 9" spring-form cake tin with 1 layer of cling film and two layers of tin foil to ensure water-tightness. And grease the inside.

In a processor blend the cookies and butter to make a fine, damp sand texture. Press this mixture into the base of the prepared tin. Put the tin into the fridge to set while you make the cheesecake.

In a (clean) food processor blend the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the eggs and sugar. Blend well. Finally blend in the banana mush.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the lined/based tin and place the tin into the roasting dish. Fill the roasting dish with just-boiled water until half way up the cheesecake tin.

Bake for up to 70 minutes, checking regularly after one hour. The cheesecake is baked when the edges are set and coming away from the sides of the tin, but the middle still has a hint of "inner thigh" wobble.

Allow to cool completely (up to this point is best done the day before serving...)

You can (and probably should) make your own caramel to go on top of this cheesecake... I tried to, but was wildly unsuccessful and had to resort to caramel from a tin. But it still tasted great! Just make sure whatever caramel you use is of a delightfully smooth consistency.

Spread the caramel over the top surface of the (unmolded) cheesecake - and you're ready to serve!

Cut into generous slices and serve with cream or ice cream or yoghurt and a little extra caramel for drizzling purposed...

At some point - I think this cheesecake would be an excellent base for a peanut butter topping... What do you think?