Forget banana bread, use up over-ripe fruit in this low-sugar cheesecake with a chocolate and nut base and a ricotta and yogurt topping
Prep:15 mins
Serves 12
For the base50g butter75g oatcakes, finely crushed50g cream crackers1 tbsp cocoa, plus extra for dusting1 tbsp salted peanuts, very finely chopped, plus 1 tbsp to scatter over (optional)
STEP 1Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and lightly oil a non-stick loose-based 22cm cake tin. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the oatcakes, crackers, cocoa and the chopped peanuts until well coated. Press into the base of the tin to make a firm layer, then bake for 10 mins. Remove from the oven and turn up the heat to 240C/220C fan/gas 9.STEP 2To make the topping, mash the bananas with the lemon juice in a large bowl, then beat in the ricotta, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and cornflour until everything is very well mixed. Pour onto the biscuit base and bake for 10 mins, then turn the oven right down to 110C/90C fan/gas 1/4 and cook for 25 mins more. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside to cool. When cold, chill for 3-4 hrs. (Cooling the cheesecake this way should prevent it from cracking.)STEP 3To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin and slide onto a plate. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape, then smooth over the top of the cheesecake, lightly dust with cocoa and scatter over the peanuts.
