Summer no-bake apricot cheesecake

Prepare the base for the apricot cheesecake. Put the butter biscuits into a blender and grind them into fine crumbs, or crush them in a bag with a rolling pin. Tip the crumbs into a bowl, pour in the melted lukewarm butter and mix thoroughly until you get a moist mixture resembling wet sand. Spread the mixture over the bottom of a springform tin. Press it firmly into an even base with the back of a spoon and chill the tin in the fridge.

Soak the gelatine according to the packet instructions in a little cold water. Meanwhile wash half of the apricots, remove the stones and blend them into a completely smooth purée. Then warm the soaked gelatine gently, just until it dissolves. Never let it boil, or it will lose its ability to set.

Put the cream cheese into a bowl and beat it with the icing sugar and vanilla sugar until smooth. In a second bowl whip the chilled whipping cream until stiff. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture spoon by spoon so the cream stays airy. Finally work in the apricot purée and the lukewarm dissolved gelatine and combine everything into a fluffy cream.

Spread the finished cream over the chilled base and smooth it level with a spatula. Cut the remaining apricots into thin slices and arrange them in a circle over the whole surface. Return the tin to the fridge and let the cheesecake set for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Chill it long enough.

Carefully remove the set dessert from the tin and transfer it to a serving plate. Just before serving, dust it lightly with icing sugar. Cut with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, so the slices come out nicely clean. Serve it well chilled.