Honey and Lavender Baked Cheesecake a la Jo Wheatley

I am in baking and jam making mode at the moment.  I was given a couple of pounds of gooseberries and redcurrants at the beginning of the week, and so after topping and tailing all the gooseberries (I am not the most patient person in the world!) i made a batch of Gooseberry and Redcurrant Jam and also Gooseberry Chutney....thank goodness mother cried as she had used all the Blackberry Chutney up....not sure using it as an accompaniment to shepherds pie works, but my mothers taste in food has always been a bit off the wall.

Now to today, Jo Wheatley won the 2011 Great British Bake Off (Hail Queen Mary and Mr H....cannot wait till it reappears).  I have been following Jo on twitter and I liked what I read so went out and got one of her books.  Jo's book "Home Baking" published by Constable & Robinson ISBN 978-1-47210-935-4 is full of wonderful bakes, with easy to follow recipes and using ingredients that won't break the bank.

I have decided to enter Jo's Baked Cheesecake competition  http://www.josblueaga.com/2013/07/a-passion-for-baking-home-baking.html  I used the recipe on page 74. As I am allergic to ginger I replaced the ginger, so added into the main cheesecake recipe 3 tablespoons of organic honey; replaced 75g of the 175g of caster sugar with lavender sugar and added a few bits of fresh lavender flowers.  I replaced the ginger nuts with digestive biscuits....but aside from that I followed the recipe to the letter although i did nearly forget to put the sour cream and sugar on but speedily noticed as I took from the oven.  I then drizzled with dark fairtrade 70% melted chocolate, decorated with segments of flat peaches (which have a white flesh and delicious), and garnished with a few little sprigs of lavender.  The cheesecake is amazing, in fact I knew the flavours worked well when I licked the bowl out (has to be done)....so here is my finished product.  It serves 8 and glad to say they would be 8 generous portions, thats also what is fab looking at other recipes they are generous not mean portions...after all when its good home cooked food you want to enjoy it.

If you have been watching Masterchef this week well as Janet Street Porter I am not usually the best at presentation, my husband always says the food tastes good but presentation is to be desired....well I think the girl didn't do too bad on this occasion.