Filling
3 1/2 oz Dark chocolate
1x250g Tub Mascarpone
2 oz (50g) Raisins
4 oz (110g) Whole hazelnuts
1x200g Tub fromage frais (8 percent fat)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 oz (40g) caster sugar
The Base
2oz/(50g) digestive cookies
1oz Irish butter melted
Place the hazelnuts in the oven and toast to a golden brown for about 5 minutes
Remove from oven and let cool. Set aside 4oz (110g) for the filling. Meanwhile, make the base of the cheese cake by crushing the cookies in a polythene bag with a rolling pin- don't crush them too fine. Chop the remaining 2 oz (50g) of toasted hazelnuts. Put all the crushed cookie crumbs into a bowl and add the chopped nuts and melted butter and mix together. Pack into the base of a cake tin, pressing it very firmly all over. Now place the tin in the oven and pre- bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove and let it cool while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to gas mark 2 ,(300°F),(150°C )
For the filling
place 2 inches of water into a saucepan, and put on the hob to heat, break the chocolate into small squares and place this into a basin. As soon as the water is boiling remove from the heat and place the bowl in the sauce pan until every thing has melted. Now spoon the Microphone and fromage frais into a large bowl and whisk them together until smooth, Preferably with a electric hand whisk before adding the melted chocolate- Use a rubber spatula so that you get every last bit of chocolate from the basin- lightly fold the chocolate into the mixture into the egg mixture. Finally add the raisins an toasted hazelnuts.
pour the mixture into the tin, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon , then place it on the center shelf of the oven and bake for 1 4 hours. turn the oven off but leave the cheese cake inside until it's completely cold.
