One of my favourite Cheesecake to make is the Lattice Biscuit Cheesecake Slice. I was introduced to this delightful slice by a lady I used to work with called Lorraine. She would bring a tray of this to office functions and birthdays. And not only that, she used to have a folder of copies of recipes, because it was requested often. So I will be forever grateful to you, Miss Palmer for this precious Lattice Biscuit Cheesecake recipe. Lattice Biscuits were once upon a time manufactured by Arnott’s, but has now been unfortunately discontinued. Whatever the reason, Lattice Biscuit as we know it is no more. That means, that we can no longer make our favourite Cheesecake Slice, like we used to.

I’ve almost given up on trying to find a substitute for Arnott’s Lattice Biscuits when I found a very similar one called Hup Seng Sugar Crackers. They were lurking among other hard to find biscuits in my local Asian shop. I was actually looking for something else but the packaging caught my eye, as the photo was very similar to Lattice. So here we are, with Lattice Biscuit Cheesecake,version 2. Hang on, am I still allowed to call it as such? I hope I’m not infringing on any copyright. Regardless, the sugar crackers are a great substitute for the real thing, and I’m happy with the result.

What you need to make Lattice Biscuit Slice

Hup Seng Sugar Crackers- you need a 428g packet , but there will be left overs for you to snack on or spare just in case of breakage. For this recipe, you only need 30 biscuits altogether.
Pantry/Fridge- Gelatine, Cream Cheese,Thickened Cream,Caster Sugar, Lemon
Orange Blossom Water if you have it, no big deal if you don’t but it adds a bit of drama.
A baking pan approximately 35x21x3cm or something similar.

Easy does it…

Lattice Biscuit Cheesecake — No Cooking Required

. Line base and sides of the pan with baking paper. Arrange 15 biscuits (3 across and 5 down) with the sugared size down, in a single layer.

. To make the filling, bloom the gelatine by sprinkling it over hot water. Then whisk with a fork to dissolve. Beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, then add caster sugar and cream to the mix and beat again until smooth. Add the bloomed gelatine, lemon juice and zest, orange blossom if using, and beat until combined.

. Carefully pour over the biscuit base and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Press the remaining biscuits over the filling, with the sugared side up. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until firm, about three hours. Or chill in the fridge overnight.

. I prefer placing the cheesecake in the freezer.The sugar crackers aren’t as sturdy as the original lattice biscuits. Freezing the cheesecake I think it prevents the biscuits from becoming soggy. Just let the cheesecake come to room temperature before serving, about 10 minutes. Slice into square using the edges of each biscuits as a guide.

. For a neater finish, if the biscuits aren’t quite flush with the edges of the pan, line the sides of the pan with folded paper towel, to prevent the cheese filling from spreading.
Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to cut into squares.

. Hup Seng Sugar Crackers are slightly larger than the original Lattice biscuits, this is why I opted to make the slice in a larger pan, so the filling is lightly thinner. I also don’t like the idea of trimming the biscuits to fit the pan, because I think it’s such a waste and the trimmed edge is never straight.

And while you’re here, let me introduce you to another cake I learned from Miss Palmer, the Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. At the time I was working with her, I wasn’t a very good cook, let alone baker. This carrot cake was probably one of the very first cake I made with great success. Please give it a try, and let me know what you think via the comments section below. I would love to hear from you, even if just so say hello.