Cranberry and pecan cheesecake

Serves 8-10

I think if you gave most families the choice between a cheesecake and Christmas pudding, they would probably opt for a cheesecake.

There is something so comforting about a creamy cheesecake with its biscuity base – and made with traditional Christmas fruits, it keeps everyone in the festive spirit.

150-200g fresh cranberries
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
150g caster sugar
100ml water
1tsp cornflour
200g Hobnobs or digestives
80g butter, melted

For the cheesecake

500g cream cheese, such as mascarpone, softened
300ml double cream
120g caster sugar
120g pecan nuts

Put the cranberries in a saucepan with the sugar, orange juice, zest and water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 5 minutes; then dilute the cornflour in a little water and stir into the cranberries. Continue simmering for a few minutes until the cranberries are just coated in the 3-4 tablespoons of the thickened liquid, then remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.

Place the pecans on a tray lined with foil and scatter a couple of tablespoons of sugar from the 120g you need for the cheesecake. Lightly toast under a medium grill, turning them as they are cooking, for 2-3 minutes.

In a food processor, crush the biscuits to a coarse breadcrumb-like consistency. To do this by hand, put the biscuits in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin. Mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter.

Line a 14-18cm round or square removable-bottomed cake or deep flan tin (or one of those with a side that unclips) with greaseproof paper. Because the cheescake is soft, the sides of the tin must be detachable. Pack the biscuit mixture into the tin, firming it down with the back of a spoon.

Using a mixing machine or by hand, whip the double cream and sugar until fairly stiff. In a clean bowl, again by machine or hand, soften the cream cheese then add the whipped cream. If you're using softer mascarpone, rather than Philadelphia, you may need about 50g less cream. Carefully fold in half of the cranberry mixture and half the pecans to form a rippled effect. Now spoon the mix on to the biscuit base, leaving the top a bit rough. Leave to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours until firm.

Remove the cheesecake from the tin – you may need to run a hot knife around the edge – then slide it on to a serving dish. Spoon the rest of the cranberry mixture on top and then scatter the rest of the pecans all over.