Orange crème caramel cheesecakes

Method

• step 1

  Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. In a small pan, bring the cream to the boil with the orange peel, then set aside to infuse. Tip 140g/5oz sugar into another saucepan with just enough water to make it sludgy. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and boil to make a darkish caramel. Add 2 tbsp of the orange liqueur (watch out as it will splutter). Leave it to settle slightly, then pour the caramel over the base of 6 x 250ml ramekins and set aside.

• step 2

  Beat the cream cheese and the remaining 85g/3oz sugar together in a large bowl, then beat in the eggs and the remaining orange liqueur. Strain in the infused cream, then beat everything together to make a custard. Skim off any froth and set aside.

• step 3

  Boil the kettle. Place the ramekins in a deep roasting tin. Divide the custard between them – it will only come to halfway – then bring the tin to the oven and fill with hot water from the kettle so it comes halfway up the outside of the ramekin dishes. Bake the cheesecakes for 40 mins or until just set, then remove from the oven and the tin. Leave to cool, then chill at least overnight. These can be made up to 2 days ahead and left to chill.

• step 4

  Up to 2 days before serving, make the bases. Crumble the biscuits into a food processor, then blitz to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until everything is mixed. Line a flat baking tray with greaseproof paper, tip the base mix onto it, then top with another sheet of greaseproof paper. Gently roll the mix out until large enough to cut 6 bases the same size as the ramekins out of it. Chill.

• step 5

  To make the caramel squiggles, heat the sugar with a little water in a saucepan and boil to make caramel, then set aside to cool slightly. Line a tray with baking parchment and grease with a little oil. Drizzle the caramel up and down so that all the strands of caramel stick together to create stars, then leave to set.

• step 6

  To serve, use a cutter the same diameter as the ramekin to cut out 6 bases from the biscuit mix. Lift the bases onto 6 plates. Unmould the cheesecakes, saving the caramel sauce in the ramekin. Top the bases with the crème caramels, drizzle the sauce over and around the plates, garnish with a star and serve.