Cheesecake combos have been popping all over the baking scene lately. Outshine them all with this gorgeous cherry cheesecake pie!

SERVES 8 // COOKING TIME 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
200 g packet digestive biscuits, crushed
80 g butter, melted
500 g smooth cream cheese
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp almond essence
200 g cherry jam
100 g fresh cherries, halved and pitted
400 g roll shortcrust pastry
⅓ cup flaked almonds

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a 20 cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking paper and spray with cooking spray.
2. In one bowl, mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter. Press the mixture into the cake tin.
3. In another bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cornflour and almond essence with an electric beater until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base. Bake for 1 hour. The cheesecake is done when the sides are set, but the middle is still a bit wobbly. If it is too wobbly, return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Then remove from the oven and set aside until cooled completely.
5. Turn up the oven to 180°C.
6. Spread the jam evenly over the cooled cheesecake. Scatter the cherries on top.
7. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to 3 mm thick. Cut out a circle about the same size as the cheesecake. Cut a pattern out of the pastry with a cookie cutter.
8. Place the pastry over the cheesecake so that the filling shows through. Fold the pastry down over the edges.
9. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden. Garnish the cherry cheesecake pie with flaked almonds and serve with whipped cream.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli