The perfect relationship

Cardamom cheesecake with fresh fig topping

"It's the little things you put together,

Put together,

Put together,

That make perfect relationships".

Sondheim and Rodgers, Holmes and Watson, Gilbert and Sullivan, Marks and Spencer, Morse and Lewis, and now we have Cardamom and dairy, the coolest summer combo. A double handed duo that could solve every catering dilemma in the district with only a smidgeon of extra help.In this case the extra help was a beating on the bottom with a Womans Weekly. Whenever I am stuck for a culinary solution my search engine smacks into Australian Womans Weekly, bend me over backwards on me hostess trolley and my dilemma has become a delicious dessert. I abandoned their suggested base of NICE biscuits and opted for a classic digestive biscuit base.Eh voila I was on the way to no cook culinary heaven.

Cardamom cheesecake with fresh fig topping

Serves 6

For the base

• 15 large digestive biscuits 
• 85g/3ozunsalted butter 
  1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Break up the digestive biscuits  and place them into the bowl of a food processor.
     
  2. Place the butter in a heavy-based pan and melt gently.
     
  3. Process the biscuits in the food processor, until the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.
     
  4. Line the base of a 24cm/9in-10in loose-based spring-form cake tin with a round of greaseproof paper. Brush the bottom of the tin with some of the melted butter and place the round of greaseproof paper in the base.
     
  5. Add the remaining melted butter to the biscuit crumbs in the food processor and process again briefly.
     
  6. Tip the crumbs into the bottom of the cake tin. Using the back of a spoon, gently push the crumbs from the centre outward, until smooth and level. This will form the base of the cheesecake.
     
  7. Bake the cheesecake base in the oven for 10-15 minutes until it's lightly browned and just set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least five minutes.
     

For the topping

2 leaves or 2 teaspoons gelatine
2 tablespoons water
200g low-fat yogurt
250g light cream cheese, softened
¼ cup (90g) honey
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 fresh figs (120g), cut into wedges

1. Sprinkle gelatine over the water in small heatproof jug; place jug in small pan of simmering water, stir until gelatine dissolves. Cool 5 minutes.

4. Using electric mixer, beat yogurt and cream cheese in small bowl until smooth. Stir in honey and cardamom then the gelatine mixture; pour into prepared pan. Cover; refrigerate about 4 hours or until set. Serve cheesecake topped with fig.

Cardamom panna cotta
makes 6 ramekins 

500 ml good quality yoghurt
500ml half and half mixture of single cream and mlk
225g sugar
1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds
4 leaves gelatine
Beat the yoghurt lightly with a fork until smooth and creamy.
Combine the cream and milk mixture, sugar and crushed cardamom in a pot over a medium flame until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is nicely warm to the touch.Remove from the heat. Dissolve the gelatine in 4 tablespoons of water and add to the cream and milk mixture. Stir to mix, ensuring the gelatine is completely dissolved.beat in the yoghurt.
Pour into the ramekins and chill for several hours or overnight until set.