Linda’s Baileys Malteser cheesecake
With Mother’s Day just around the corner on 14 May and World Baking Day on 17 May, Caboolture Living Gems Riverfront resident and baking enthusiast Linda Cross shares one of her special secret cheesecake recipes which she says is a cinch to make for the grandkids.
“Our granddaughter, Bella, just turned 11 on 30 March, and Sammy, our grandson, is six. Bella’s the wild child of the family, even going bungy jumping for her birthday. She gets her courage from me,” Linda laughs. “I recently ziplined in Perth off the Matagarup Bridge, which is the same height as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and it was fantastic.”
Linda decided to make one of her special cheesecakes with the help of her grandkids, who live close by and visit regularly, as a special Mother’s Day treat for their mum.
“I started baking cheesecakes long before my children were born, let alone my grandchildren, so I’ve been baking them for over 45 years,” Linda says. “I only make them occasionally, although since we moved to Caboolture, I’ve been making them a lot more.”
Bella and Sammy aced their cooking assignment, even creating their own special decorative design on top.
“They love being involved in things like this, because we always have a lot of fun together and we never know what the finished result will look like.”
Linda has used a range of recipes to create her signature dessert, refining her recipe over many years.
“I have tweaked my recipe and have pinched bits from other recipes to make it perfect,” she says. “My cheesecakes have three stages. First you make the base and set it in the fridge, then the filling which must set, and then the fun part — decorating it with whatever you want.”
So, what’s the secret to her cheesecakes?
“I add a bit of booze! I don’t drink at all, but my cheesecakes must have a bit of booze, and the kids don’t know the difference, they just sleep better,” she laughs. “I’m kidding, it’s not much, it just gives it a better taste.”
“I do a lot of Baileys cheesecakes or use brandy or Pimm’s, which I used for the Queen’s Jubilee which went over well. It’s about being adventurous and trying different things.
You can’t just make the same one all the time because it gets boring.”
