Ingredients :

Base

• 6 oz (170 g) chocolate or graham wafers or crackers
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) butter
• 1 ½ oz (40 g) chocolate

Filling :

• 3 medium eggs
• 1/3 cup (85 ml) sugar
• 1 large orange
• ½ lemon
• 12 oz (350 g) firm style cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) gelatine
• 2/3 cup (165 ml) whipping cream
• 1 oz (30 g) chocolate, for decoration

Procedure :

1. First make base. Crush cookies finely. Melt butter and chocolate together over gentle heat. Remove from heat, stir in cookie crumbs until evenly coated in chocolate.
2. Press mixture into base of a 7 inch (18 cm) springform cake pan. Chill until firm (5 hours minimum).
3. To make filling, separate eggs and place yolks in a bowl with sugar. Whisk until thick and creamy. Grate rind from orange and lemon into yolk mixture. Sieve cottage cheese into mixture.
4. Squeeze juice from orange and lemon into small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatine over fruit juices. Allow to soften for 5 minutes. Place pan over very low heat and leave until liquid is very clear, about 3 minutes. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, beat egg and cheese mixture in a bowl until smooth. Pour in cooled, dissolved gelatine and fruit juice in a thin stream, stirring all the time. Whip cream until it just holds its shape. Fold into mixture.
5. Whisk egg whites until stiff. Fold into cheesecake mixture using a metal spoon. Spoon filling over chocolate-cookie crumb base. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight if preferred.
6. When firm, unmold onto a serving plate. Melt chocolate in a bowl over hot water, and put it in a greaseproof piping bag. Drizzle chocolate in a decorative pattern over cheesecake. Allow to set before serving.

Makes 8 servings.