Baked cheesecake with blueberries

You will need a 24cm diameter springform/loose-bottomed tin.

Serves 10-12

175g digestive biscuits

75g butter, melted

175g blueberries, plus extra for decorating

450g cream cheese

150g caster sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, lightly beaten

icing sugar, to dust

Preheat an oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4. Butter the sides and base of the cake tin.

Place the biscuits in a food processor and whiz until quite fine. Alternatively, place them in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and press down into the base of the tin so that it is nice and even. Spread the blueberries over the base and allow to chill in the fridge while you make the topping.

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and the eggs together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Pour over the top of the blueberries and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until it is pale golden and should only wobble very slightly when you gently shake the tin.

Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen it and carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle over a few blueberries, if you wish, then dust with icing sugar. Cut into slices to serve. This cheesecake is best eaten when it is at room temperature.

You can experiment with all kinds of (dry) sweet biscuits or cookies for the base; just crush them the way you would the digestives above. Try using a chocolate biscuit base and omitting the blueberries.

From Bake, by Rachel Allen, published by Collins (£20)