Birthday Girl

My sister Beth is one of the most kind-hearted, loving people that I know. It’s often from her that I get my big hugs on a bad day, and she has bestowed upon me more nicknames than I can count. She’s five years younger, but significantly taller than me. I think this is why she thinks she is somehow justified in calling me things like “Schnookie”, though I secretly kind of like it when she calls me Lola or Lulu.

I’m happy to say that we got along reasonably well through our childhoods, though she should get the equivalent of an Oscar for her ‘Annoying Little Sister’ role when I had friends over. It’s most certainly from me that she gets her good taste in music, which comes in handy because she doesn’t tell me to turn the volume down. She does great impersonations, most impressively Stitch from Lilo and Stitch and King Julian from Madagascar. It always makes me giggle when she inserts random movie quotes into conversations.

Every time we set out on a walk together, she proclaims it “an adventure”, and I love sharing the things and places I’ve discovered with her. I don’t think she minds too much, when I take her places like the Lindt Café. She loves to cook and often helps me in the kitchen. It’s nice to be able to teach her things, though it’s even nicer when she actually listens! She’s growing into a wonderful girl, someone to really be proud of. I may not say it as often as I should, but I love you to bits. Happy 15th Birthday Beth!

I know I’ve just posted a cheesecake recipe, but this was the dessert the birthday girl chose, and I couldn’t say no! We have both long been fans of cookies and cream ice cream so it was nice to have it in cheesecake form this time! It was pretty easy to put together, I actually made most of it during the ad breaks in the TV show I was watching. Beth loved it, though I found it just a little too rich. It could, of course also be doubled and made as one large cheesecake, in an 8 inch removable-bottom cake tin.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake
Adapted from Women’s Weekly Cheesecakes
Makes 5-6 mini cheesecakes

• 250g packet of chocolate cream biscuits (such as Oreos)
• 40g butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon gelatine
• 1 tablespoon water
• 250g cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 150mL cream
• 90g white chocolate, melted
• Dark chocolate, melted, to serve (optional)

1. Grease and line 5 (or 6) half-cup ramekins with non-stick baking paper.
2. To make the crust, place 8 biscuits from the packet into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until you have fine crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the melted butter until combined. Press evenly into the bases of the ramekins with a teaspoon. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Chop the remaining biscuits into small chunks.
4. Combine the gelatine and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until gelatine is completely dissolved.
5. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with vanilla and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add cream, white chocolate and gelatine, and mix until combined. Fold in the biscuit pieces.
6. Divide equally between the ramekins. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with melted dark chocolate drizzled over the top if desired.