Banana Cheescake

INGREDIENTS

Base
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup icing sugar
90g butter, softened not melted
2 egg yolks
1 tblsp water (approx)

Filling
500g cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 large overripe bananas
3 eggs, lightly beaten


METHOD

Base

1. Sift flour and icing sugar into a bowl.
   
2. Rub in butter. Add egg yolks and enough water so that the ingredients cling together.
   
3. Mix into a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead mixture until smooth.
   
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   
5. Gently roll out pastry with a rolling pin so that its large enough to cover base and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin.
   
6. Press pastry into tin, trim the edge.
   
7. Lightly prick base with a fork.
   
8. Refrigerate for a further 30 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
   
10. Cover pastry with baking paper and fill with dried beans or rice.
    
11. Bake for 10 minutes.
    
12. Remove baking paper and rice or beans and bake for a further 15 minutes until lightly brown.
    
13. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
    

Filling

1. Reduce oven to 180 degrees celsius.
   
2. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, caster sugar and vanilla until smooth.
   
3. Add banana and beaten eggs, beat until smooth.

• Place cake tin on an oven tray.
  
• Pour cheesecake mixture over pastry base.
  
• Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until just firm.
  
• Turn oven off and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar.
  
• When cheesecake is completely cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of three hours, preferably overnight.
  
• Dust cheesecake with icing sugar just prior to serving.