Summer berry cheesecake

Sping 2011 was sunny and wet in Scotland, this made for a bumper crop of soft fruits (main crop of this region).  My strawberries were huge and sweet, the golden raspberries out-performed the red and the Tay and Logan berries grew to epic proportions.  Here's one of the many ways I used them up:

    * 300g summer berries

    * 50g golden caster sugar

    * 100g digestive biscuits
    * 50g butter , melted
    * 1 tsp vanilla extract
    * 300g soft cheese
    * 50g icing sugar
    * 150ml pot double cream

1.  To prepare the berries, put the sugar and 3 tbsp water in a pan. Cook until dissolved then boil until syrupy. Add the fruit cook for a minute or two. You want them to soften but not burst. Tip into a sieve over a bowl and cool.

2. Butter the base and sides of a 22cm spring form cake tin then line with baking parchment. To make the base, whizz the biscuits in a processor to crumbs. Mix with the butter then tip them into the prepared tin and press firmly into the base to create an even layer. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

All the while singing along to this:

3. Mix the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth then tip in the cream and mix until combined (it's better to use a wooden spoon for this as electric beaters will overwhip the cream). Stir through half the berries then spoon onto the base. Smooth the top of the cheesecake. Leave to set in the fridge overnight. 

4. Take the cheesecake from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. Release the tin and remove the paper from the sides. Slide the cake onto a plate leaving the base paper behind. Spoon over the fruit and syrup before serving.

Recipe based on http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1578633/vanilla-blueberry-cheesecake