Mini matcha cheesecakes

Delicate mini cheesecakes infused with matcha green tea, lightly flavoured with lemon and topped with mascarpone cream and raspberries. They can be prepared a day ahead, including the cream topping, and stored in the refrigerator without losing any of their appearance or texture. Highly recommended!

Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.

Ingredients for the mini matcha cheesecakes:

• 6 heaped tablespoons chocolate sandwich biscuits with chocolate filling, finely crushed (using a food processor or rolling pin) until sandy in texture
• 600 g curd cheese, triple-ground
• 50 ml double cream
• 3 large eggs
• ⅔ cup caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons potato starch
• 2 teaspoons matcha powder, sifted
• finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 12 raspberries, or more (fresh or frozen, thawed and drained on kitchen paper)

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Prepare a 12-hole muffin tin and line it with paper cases (mine were approximately 1 cm taller than the muffin tin cavities). Place about half a tablespoon of crushed biscuits into the base of each paper case and spread evenly.

Place the curd cheese, double cream, eggs, sugar, matcha powder, potato starch and lemon zest into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until smooth and combined. Do not overmix, as this will introduce too much air into the cheesecake mixture. Divide the cheesecake mixture evenly between the paper cases.

Bake at 160°C for approximately 25–28 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for the macarpone cream:

• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 250 g mascarpone, chilled
• 1 tablespoon lemon liqueur

Place the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until pale, thick and fluffy. Add the chilled mascarpone in two additions, mixing until smooth after each addition. Add the lemon liqueur and mix until combined.

Once the cheesecakes have chilled, arrange raspberry pieces on top of each one. Pipe or spoon over the mascarpone cream and dust lightly with additional matcha powder.

Store the mini matcha cheesecakes in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!