Passion fruit originated in South America but are also grown in Australia and South Africa where they are known as granadilla. It’s said that after eating a passion fruit you fall in love with the next person you make eye contact with. So you’ve been warned.

You can obtain a passion fruit purée or concentrate by halving the fruit, scooping out the flesh and the seeds, and working the resulting mix through a sieve. However, the purée’s also available frozen from good food shops.

The recipe here describes a 10 inch diameter cheesecake. However, as an alternative, you could make individual desserts by using pastry cutter rings as moulds.

Serves six

One regular packet of digestive biscuits

150g unsalted butter - softened

½ kg mascarpone cheese

250 ml double cream

Three leaves of gelatine (or powdered gelatine if you can’t get leaves)

250 ml orange juice

25g passion fruit purée or concentrate

Place the digestives in a large mixing bowl and crush with a rolling pin, or use a food processor to blitz, until they are the same texture as sand. Either process or mix in the softened butter. Take a flan ring (approximately 10 inches across), place on a flat tray and spoon in the biscuit mixture, pressing down firmly with a spoon before chilling in the fridge to harden.

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for ten minutes to soften.

Pour the passion fruit puree and orange juice in a saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce by about two thirds. Remove the softened gelatine from the water and squeeze out any excess before adding it to the juice. Remove from the heat, stir to allow the gelatine to dissolve and allow to cool.

Soften the mascarpone cheese by putting it in a bowl and beating with a wooden spoon. In another bowl, whip the cream to the soft peak stage.

Add the cooled passion fruit and orange juice mixture to the cheese and mix. Carefully fold in the cream using a metal spoon, being careful not to over work. It doesn’t need to be perfectly mixed.

Pour the mixture onto the biscuit base, smooth off and set on a level shelf in the fridge.

To serve, remove the ring and divide into six wedges.