ITALIAN CITRON MERINGUE CHEESECAKE!

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Yes folks you read it right, Lemon Meringue AND a cheesecake, all rolled into one delectable dessert. We all know I could practically open an all Cheesecake Restaurant and give the Cheesecake Shop a run for their money, and now with no better excuse than my eldest sons birthday, (bless him) and needing to spoil him in a grown up way, I came up with this little treat. His fave? Cheesecake, his second fave? Lemon Meringue Pie, so in a deadly combination of calories, I have mixed the two, forever to become the birthday special in our house. I was hoping to put something up that resembled nutrition, in light of the last few months…but this recipe has both fat and sugar, two of the main food groups, I am led to believe by my tastebuds, so here it is, (and with apologies for the less than average photograph); Make, Eat and Enjoy! (After all, it IS all about MEE!!)

NEED:
1 x 250g pkg Arnott’s Lemon Crisp biscuits
4 eggs seperated
zest 2 lemons
120g lime/lemon juice
750g cream cheese
100g caster sugar
Pinch cream of Tartar
160g icing sugar

DO:
Place biscuits into Thermomix bowl and blitz for 15 seconds on speed 8. Push into 15-16cm springform tin and bake for 10 minutes in a fan forced 160°C oven. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C and place a baking tray of water on the bottom shelf.
Meanwhile, place all remaining filling ingredients into the Thermomix bowl and blend together for 20 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat if necessary.
Pour into base and cook one rung above the water tray for 35-40 minutes or until set in the center. You don’t want it browned at all, just set. Cool to room temperature or overnight in fridge. You could cook this part in the Combi-steam oven if you have one.
When ready to make the meringue, remove water bath and preheat oven to fan forced 190°C.
To make meringue, heat Thermomix bowl for 1 minute at 50°C on speed 1.
Insert Butterfly and place Cream of Tartar and egg whites into Thermomix bowl.
Beat for 6 minutes at 50°C on speed 3 as you introduce the icing sugar through the hole in lid. Take your time, a large amount of sugar at once will collapse the whites.

Using a spatula, dollop the meringue over the top of the cheesecake and ‘tizzy’ it up until you are happy with it.
Cook for 8-10 minutes until just starting to colour up. Remove and allow to cool completely before serving with extra cream as desired.