Ingredients

• 200g/7oz digestive biscuits
• 100g/3½oz butter
• melted
• 125g/4½ oz blackberries
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• split
• 500g/1lb 2oz full-fat cream cheese
• 3 free-range eggs
• ½ lemon
• juice only
• 75ml/2½fl oz double cream
• 56g/2oz plain flour
• 196g/7oz caster sugar
• 35g/1oz honey
• 70g/2oz liquid glucose
• 200g/7oz caster sugar
• 20g/1oz bicarbonate of soda
• freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 130C/250F/Gas½. Line a 20cm/8in spring-form cake tin.
• For the cheesecake base
• place the digestive biscuits into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix together with the melted butter
• then press the mixture into the bottom of the lined cake tin. Use the bottom of a glass to even out the biscuit mixture. Place into the fridge.
• For the blackberry purée
• place the berries and sugar into a pan along with a splash of water and simmer over a medium-low heat until the berries break down and become tender. Blend to a smooth puree in a food processor
• then pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Set aside to cool.
• For the cheesecake filling
• scrape the vanilla seeds out from the pods and beat into the cream cheese until well combined. In a jug
• whisk together the eggs
• lemon juice and cream.
• Add half of the egg mixture to the cream cheese and mix together until smooth and well combined. Add the flour and sugar to the cream cheese mixture
• then mix in the remaining egg mixture until smooth.
• Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared tin
• then drizzle over the blackberry purée. Bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes
• or until the cheesecake is set and lightly golden on top. Set aside to cool.
• For the black pepper honeycomb
• place a silicone mat onto a large baking tray.
• Place the honey
• liquid glucose
• caster sugar and water into a large
• deep-sided pan and heat until the mixture reaches 150C/300F on a sugar thermometer.
• Quickly stir in the bicarbonate of soda (be careful as the mixture will rapidly expand and bubble up)
• then pour onto the silicone mat. Lightly spread over the mat with a palette knife and sprinkle over some freshly ground black pepper. Set aside until cooled and hardened.
• Before serving
• break the honeycomb into pieces. Cut the cheesecake into slices and decorate the top with shards of black pepper honeycomb.