Gosh, can you believe it’s a brand new year?! Welcome to The Twenties! Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s officially time to break out your pearl necklaces and cloche hats, and let’s buckle up for a roaring year. Here’s a foxy little recipe to kickstart the decade with a bit of class: it’s the BEE’S KNEES or even the CAT’S PYJAMAS or, dare I say it, the CATERPILLAR’S KIMONO! Yep, it’s that good!

Gen’s Christmas Kitchen will be going into hibernation now until September, when we begin our run-up again to the most wonderful time of the year. I’ve closed the door and tied it up with a Christmas bow, ready to be unwrapped when the leaves are dropping. So we’ll meet again on the other side; I’ll come bearing gifts of sumptuous recipes-galore. In the meantime, have a jolly good year. Until then, toodle-pip!

RECIPE: Honey Cheesecake with Salted Honey Caramel

FLAVOUR PROFILE: Rich and creamy cheesecake with a zing from the ginger biscuit base, served with a honeyed salted caramel sauce.

GOES GREAT WITH: The Salted Honey Caramel does the trick, adding that extra hit of honey. Serve as a show-stopping dessert at a dinner party. Or a slice with some Earl Grey tea in the afternoon would be delightful.

NOTES: Use the best honey you can! I splashed out and bought some seriously good honey, and boy did it make a difference when it came to flavour!

MAKES: 1 x 20cm cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

For the Biscuit Base

• 240g GINGER BISCUITS, blitzed to crumbs
• 140g BUTTER, melted

For the Cheesecake

• 15g POWDERED GELATINE, dissolved in 60ml hot – not boiling – water
• 475g CREAM CHEESE
• 170g HONEY
• 1 tbsp. LEMON JUICE
• 1 tsp. VANILLA EXTRACT
• 145g DOUBLE (HEAVY) CREAM

For the Salted Honey Caramel sauce (Makes 300g)

• 90g HONEY
• 120g BROWN SUGAR
• 120g CREAM
• 25g BUTTER
• 1 tsp. VANILLA EXTRACT
• ½ tsp. SEA SALT

METHOD:

1. Line the bottom of a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking paper. Mix together the crushed GINGER BISCUITS and melted BUTTER. Press into the bottom of the tin, making sure it is even and coming a bit up the sides. I used the underside of a small glass to help me do this. Place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
2. Add the DOUBLE CREAM to a mixing bowl and beat until you have soft peaks.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, add the CREAM CHEESE, HONEY, LEMON JUICE, VANILLA EXTRACT and the GELATINE-MIX. Beat until smooth for about a minute or two.
4. Fold the whipped cream into the cheese-mixture. Then pour into the tin and smooth out the top. Put back in the fridge for at least 6 hours before releasing from the tin.
5. For the Salted Honey Caramel sauce: Put the HONEY, BROWN SUGAR, CREAM, BUTTER and SEA SALT into a saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk until the sugar melts.
6. Then turn the heat down slightly to medium-low. Keep whisking gently (I used a figure-of-8 motion) for about 5 minutes. The mixture will foam and caramelise, going a golden honey colour. It will get slightly thicker, but will still be fairly runny. Don’t worry – it thickens as it cools.
7. Take off the heat and stir in the VANILLA EXTRACT. Pour into a jar and leave to cool.