This recipe is best served warm but to serve it cold make up to 2 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Remove from the fridge about an hour before serving. Do not use low fat cream cheese in this recipe, sometimes it just doesn’t work or taste the same. You could always use all oatcakes if you don’t want to use digestive biscuits.

Serves 8-10 as part of a buffet

100g. / 4ozs. butter, melted
100g. / 4 ozs. plain oatcakes
100g. / 4ozs. digestive biscuits
50g. / 2ozs. walnut pieces
1 tsp. dried rosemary or 2 sprigs fresh, leaves picked
3 large eggs
450g. / 1lb. full fat soft cheese
220g. / 7ozs. Stilton, finely crumbled

For the figs:

200g. / 7 ozs. dried figs, quartered
100mls. port
1 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed

Brush a little of the melted butter over the base and sides of a deep 20cm. spring-form tin. Line with a disc of baking parchment.
Crumble the oatcakes and digestives into a food processor and add the walnuts and rosemary, along with a good pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Whiz until finely ground, then mix with the remaining melted butter. Tip into the lined tin, pressing well to cover the base and pushing it two thirds of the way up the sides of the tin. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C, fan 160C, gas mark 4. To make the filling, crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and add the soft cheese. Whisk together until combined. Add the crumbled Stilton and season well with black pepper, folding to mix. Pour over the biscuit base and set the tin on a foil-lined baking tray. Slide carefully into the oven and bake for 55 minutes – 1 hour until just set but with a slight wobble to the centre. Cover the top loosely with foil if it is starting to colour too much.
While the cheesecake is cooking prepare the figs. Place them in a small saucepan with the port and crushed peppercorns. Cover with a lid and set over a medium low heat. Allow to simmer for around 15 – 20 minutes until the figs are tender and have absorbed most of the port. Transfer to a small bowl and leave to cool.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 20 – 30 minutes before running a knife around the edge and releasing the springform. This is best served on the warm side of room temperature rather than hot , and letting it cool also helps the crust to firm up too. Serve topped with a few of the figs spooned on top and the rest alongside the cheesecake in a bowl.