The comedian joins Kevin Dundon and Caoimhe Young in the Under the Grill kitchen to chat about her grandma’s cheesecake – made old-school with digestive biscuits, cream cheese and a packet of jelly.

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Dubliner Emma also spoke about how writing her biography, ‘Mad, Isn’t It?’, was a kind of therapy and how she gets lovely emails and texts from readers. Emma says: “I think one of the main messages from my book is that life isn’t always straight-forward for whatever reason. I had my first child as a teenager, so I was 29 when I started comedy.”

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The mum-of-three adds: “People can find themselves in all sorts of situations where they end up getting sick or they're looking after a family member or something, and have to focus on something else for a little while.

“But you can go back to the thing that was your passion or your dream.”

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In Under the Grill, Ireland’s best loved personalities choose a dish from their childhood and Kevin cooks it up in his kitchen, alongside co-host Caoimhe Young.

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Classic Lemon Cheesecake

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Serves 4

· 200g shortbread biscuits, crushed

· 110g butter, melted

· 320g cream cheese

· 200ml cream, lightly whipped

· 60g honey

· 75ml lemon juice

· 1 lemon, zest

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For the lemon confit:

· 100ml water

· 125g caster sugar

· 1 lemon, sliced

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For the white chocolate ganache:

· 80g white chocolate, chopped into small pieces

· 175ml (50ml + 125ml) cream

1. Line an 8in cake tin with baking paper.

2. In a glass bowl, add the crushed biscuit and melted butter, and stir to combine.

3. Press the biscuit mixture into the cake tin, ensuring the base is covered. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.

4. In the meantime, beat the cream cheese, honey, lemon zest and juice together. Whisk in the whipped cream.

5. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the biscuit base. Place in the fridge to set for at least two hours, or overnight.

6. Next, prepare the confit lemon slices. Place the water and caster sugar in a wide saucepan and bring to simmer until the sugar is fully dissolved. Carefully add the lemon slices and simmer for a further 2-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the lemon to continue to soften until fully cooled, then transfer into a container.

7. To prepare the white chocolate ganache, in a small saucepan, bring 50ml cream to the boil. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the white chocolate until smooth.

8. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and stir in the remaining 125ml cream. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to set for at least one hour, or overnight. Once cooled, whip the ganache until it forms soft peaks. Set aside until needed.

9. Before serving, remove the cheesecake from the cake tin and discard the baking paper. Place on a cake stand and decorate with white chocolate ganache and lemon confit. Enjoy within 2-3 days.

The comedian joins Kevin Dundon and Caoimhe Young in the Under the Grill kitchen to chat about her grandma’s cheesecake – made old-school with digestive biscuits, cream cheese and a packet of jelly.
­
Dubliner Emma also spoke about how writing her biography, ‘Mad, Isn’t It?’, was a kind of therapy and how she gets lovely emails and texts from readers. Emma says: “I think one of the main messages from my book is that life isn’t always straight-forward for whatever reason. I had my first child as a teenager, so I was 29 when I started comedy.”
­
The mum-of-three adds: “People can find themselves in all sorts of situations where they end up getting sick or they're looking after a family member or something, and have to focus on something else for a little while.
“But you can go back to the thing that was your passion or your dream.”
­
In Under the Grill, Ireland’s best loved personalities choose a dish from their childhood and Kevin cooks it up in his kitchen, alongside co-host Caoimhe Young.
­
Classic Lemon Cheesecake
­
Serves 4
· 200g shortbread biscuits, crushed
· 110g butter, melted
· 320g cream cheese
· 200ml cream, lightly whipped
· 60g honey
· 75ml lemon juice
· 1 lemon, zest
­
For the lemon confit:
· 100ml water
· 125g caster sugar
· 1 lemon, sliced
­
For the white chocolate ganache:
· 80g white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
· 175ml (50ml + 125ml) cream
1. Line an 8in cake tin with baking paper.
2. In a glass bowl, add the crushed biscuit and melted butter, and stir to combine.
3. Press the biscuit mixture into the cake tin, ensuring the base is covered. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.
4. In the meantime, beat the cream cheese, honey, lemon zest and juice together. Whisk in the whipped cream.
5. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the biscuit base. Place in the fridge to set for at least two hours, or overnight.
6. Next, prepare the confit lemon slices. Place the water and caster sugar in a wide saucepan and bring to simmer until the sugar is fully dissolved. Carefully add the lemon slices and simmer for a further 2-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the lemon to continue to soften until fully cooled, then transfer into a container.
7. To prepare the white chocolate ganache, in a small saucepan, bring 50ml cream to the boil. Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the white chocolate until smooth.
8. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and stir in the remaining 125ml cream. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to set for at least one hour, or overnight. Once cooled, whip the ganache until it forms soft peaks. Set aside until needed.
9. Before serving, remove the cheesecake from the cake tin and discard the baking paper. Place on a cake stand and decorate with white chocolate ganache and lemon confit. Enjoy within 2-3 days.

Kevin Dundon and Caoimhe Young sit around the kitchen table with some of Ireland’s best loved personalities in Under the Grill. Kevin cooks up some delicious old-school recipes, chosen by the guest, setting the scene for some saucy chats and a dollop of nostalgia. Expect expert cooking tips and food your mammy used to make.

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