Johnny Vegas’ pecan and salted caramel cheesecake squares recipe

These easy to make pecan and salted caramel cheesecake squares are just perfect for sharing with friends and family and are ideal for making for bake sales too as you can whip up 16 squares in one go. The sweetness of the pecans and the tangy flavour from the salted caramel work wonders together. This cheesecake tray bake is best made in advance or made the day before you'd like to serve as they need plenty of time to set. The double cream makes these cheesecake bites extra soft and moreish. This recipe is for Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

Ingredients

• 300g chocolate digestive biscuits
• 150g unsalted butter
• 400g mascarpone
• 450g cream cheese
• 120g icing sugar
• 150ml double cream
• Salted caramel sauce
• 45g butter
• 240ml double cream
• 220g light brown sugar
• Salt to taste
• 8g sea salt
• 80g pecans

Method

1. Grease a 25cm square tin and line with greaseproof paper. To make the biscuit base, blitz the digestives in a food processor until they resemble coarse bread crumbs. Melt the butter in a saucepan on low heat and then combine with the biscuit crumbs. Put the mixture in the tin and use the back of a spoon to evenly compress all over the base. Place in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
2. To make the sauce melt, butter, milk, cream and sugar in a small noon stick pan and bring to the boil stirring continuously. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Add salt to your preference ( salted caramel should taste salty!). Remove from the heat.
3. For the cheesecake mixture, combine mascarpone, cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl and use an electric whisk to combine. When the mixture has thickened add in the cream. Keep whisking and follow with half the sauce.
4. Scrape the mixture into the tin over the set biscuit base, and use a palette knife to even the surface. Cover with cling film and put back in the fridge to firm up for a minimum of 4 hours.
5. To serve remove from the tin and greaseproof paper. Take the raw pecans and mix with a little of the sauce to coat in the pan, remove the pecans to greaseproof paper to cool.
6. Drizzle the cheesecake with the remaining sauce (if this has firmed up loosen it with a splash of milk and stir in a pan over low heat). Place back in the fridge for an hour to set. Then cut into squares and place the coated pecans on top.