No Bake Cherry Cheese Cake

My dear friends, summer has finally hit where I live. All week after work was spent frolicking in parks and savoring great food in our favorite café. Those are the days, I can tell ya! When the sun is out not even I want to spend too long next to a stiflingly hot oven. That’s why this version of Nigellas no-bake-cherry-cheese cake is just perfect for this weather to make and enjoy cold, right out of the fridge, at a picnic in the park. I am off to a festival for the weekend – enjoy these sunny days!

Ingredients

125 grams crumbled digestive biscuits

75 grams soft butter

300 grams cream cheese

40 grams icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon juice and lemon zest

250 ml crème fraiche

300g sour cherries

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. starch mixed with 1 tbsp. lemon juice

This recipe is all easy and quick. Put your cookies in a mixer, blitz them to fine crumbles and mix with the butter.  
  

Press into a spring form. Mix your cream cheese, crème fraiche, icing sugar, vanilla and the lemon juice and zest gently until combined. Fill the cream into the spring form so that it is evenly spread. Put the cake into your fridge over night or at least for 3 hours. Get on with the cherries (I used frozen ones, but if you already have fresh ones, perfect!). Cook them over medium for about 4 minutes, til their juices are running and mix with the sugar and starch (and maybe some vanilla). Cook a few minutes more, stirring, until slightly thickened.
Let cool completely!

Arrange these little jewels on your cake and enjoy outside!