Ingredients:

Base:

175g bourbons

60g butter, melted

Pinch of salt

Filling:

300ml cream

100g chocolate malt (e.g. Horlicks)

40g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Pinch salt

1tbsp cocoa powder

Optional: 1-2tbsp diastatic malt powder (See Note 1)

750g cream cheese

220g sugar

3 eggs + 2 egg yolks

20g plain flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C / 180°C fan. Line a 20cm loose-base cake pan with baking paper. The best way to do this to avoid spillage is to cut 2 pieces of baking paper longer than the pan is wide; crumple both and flatten out; then press into the pan at right angles to each other. This doesn’t need to be too neat, but try to get it as flat as possible at the bottom.
2. Add all bourbons expect four into a food processor. Remove and discard the filling from the remaining 4 bourbons, add the biscuits to the food processor. Pulse until it forms crumbs. Stir in melted butter and salt – it should look like wet sad.
3. Pour the crumbs into the cake pan. Press until a flat event base forms, I used the back of a spoon to make sure the crumbs reached the edges of the pan. Bake for 10 mins.
4. Once cooked, set aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 240°C / 220°C fan.
5. To make the filling, pour the cream, chocolate malt, salt, cocoa and malt powder (if using). Whisk until smooth. Set the pan over medium heat and warm stirring constantly until the powders have dissolved and the cream is warmed through.
6. Take the pan off the heat and stir in your chopped dark chocolate, whisk until melted. Transfer to a jug and set aside to cool while you make the rest of the filling.
7. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese & sugar. Stir until smooth & combined.
8. Add in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, hand-whisking between each addition (See Note 2). Pour into the chocolate cream mixture and whisk until even in colour.
9. Transfer 100g of filling into a small bowl, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Add this back to the large bowl and whisk.
10. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a large jug (this isn’t essential but does make for a smoother cheesecake), then pour over the cooled base.
11. Place the pan onto a baking sheet and carefully transfer to the oven. Bake for 40-45 mins until dark on top, the edges are set and the middle is still jiggly.
12. Cool at room temp for a few hours, then transfer to the fridge for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.

Note 1: I know this is a bit niche, but I happened to have some lying about from some malt ice cream. This just adds an extra malty-ness.

Note 2: Don’t use an electric whisk – you’ll introduce too much air.