Best Ever Cheese Cake!

• Base
• 45ml butter, melted
• 70g digestive biscuits, broken into crumbs
• 1tsp white sugar
• 1/2 banana, sliced (optional)
• 70g chocolate, melted (optional)
• Filling
• 2x 250g philadelphia cheese, cut into medium pieces and left at room temperature for 1h
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 egg + 1 yolk
• 150 ml sour cream
• Topping
• 1 cup of sugar
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup whipped cream
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, roasted in the oven for 7 minutes and roughly crushed

1. 1. Start with the base. Pre-heat the oven at 180C. Melt the butter in a small pan, use a small amount to line the baking tray, stir in the biscuit crumbs and sugar and mix until evenly moist. Add a bit of flour on the buttered baking tray to make it non stick, press the mixture flat into the bottom of the baking tray and cook for 10 minutes or until nicely golden. Let it cool down for a few minutes and add a layer of sliced banana and melted chocolate if you fancy it.
2. 2. In the meantime, get started with the filling. Beat the cream cheese for about 2 minutes, until soft and creamy, gradually add the sugar, flour, pinch of salt and wisk for another 2 minutes scraping down the sides regularly. Add vanilla extracts, lemon zest, lemon juice and stir in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the sour cream and continue whisking until nice, smooth and airy.
3. 3. Pour the mixture onto the base and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 110C and bake for another 35 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven for 40 minutes.
4. 4. For the topping, make sure you have all the ingredients ready as you will have to work fast. Be also careful not to burn yourself with the caramelized sugar as it's much hotter than boiled water! Be also aware that you will need a large pan to do this as the hot mixture tends to foam considerably when the cream gets added in. Ok, so place the sugar in a large non stick pan on high heat. As the sugar begins to melt on the sides, stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to boil, stir in the sugar. Once the butter has fully melted, take off the heat, wait for 5 seconds and add the cream to the pan and continue whisking until the foam reduces down and the mixture is nice and smooth. Let it cool down for 30 minutes or so.
5. 5. Once the topping is cool and thick, pour it oven the cake and sprinkle the roasted macadamia nuts on top and refrigerate for a good hour to set.

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Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/best-ever-cheese-cake-50120781 (may not work)