Easy Berry Cheesecake

My middle daughter, who is a medical doctor, has no cooking or chef training besides those that she grew up with in our house. Amongst her delicious cooking skills, she does a beautiful and very popular berry cheesecake, which she recently demonstrated to two chefs. It is a very easy recipe made in three parts and is always a winner.

For the base:
1 packet of Coconut biscuits ('Tennis biscuits' in South Africa)
1/2 cup of melted butter
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin mixed in a bit of boiling water

Crush the biscuits and add the butter and gelatin mixture. Push the mixture into a round baking pan or a round cake glass bowl. Put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

For the cheesecake section:
2 tins of sweetened condensed milk
2 tubs (250g) cream cheese or smooth cottage cheese
1/2 cup of lemon juice
Mix together in mixing bowl.
3 teaspoons powdered gelatin in boiling water

Add a bit of the condensed milk-cheese mixture to the gelatin and mix thoroughly. Then add this into the mixing bowl and mix. Pour the mixture over the cookies and butter base. Refrigerate for 2 hours until set.

For the berry top:
2 tins of berries or strawberries
Drain the juice from the berries in the tin and add gelatin mixture (2
teaspoons gelatin in boiling water) to the juice.
Pour this over the cake that has set over a big spoon. Then add the berries
and refrigerate again for 2 hours.

If the cake was prepared in a lined baking pan one can just remove it from the pan carefully and place on a cake plate. Alternatively it can be prepared and left in a beautiful glass cake bowl.

This recipe was always the most popular at family functions, school functions and more. The recipe will be carried over from Mamma Lalla to each generation.