At the age of 12, she did her first rap, and then attended the La Guardia High School of Music And Art that inspired the movie Fame. It was at this school that she met rapper Lil Wayne who helped her launch her career. She soon started writing her own songs and in April 2007 her first song, Playtime Is Over, was released. Known for her swagger and out front style, Nicki became the first female solo artist to have had seven songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 at the same time, long before she released her début album in 2010. Minaj has performed with artists such as Will-I-Am, Britney Spears, Lil Wayne and Mariah Carey.

Cranberry And Almond Cheesecake

Ingredients

The Crust

90g butter, melted 250g packet Tennis biscuits, crushed (keep some to sprinkle over the top of the cheesecake)

Mix the crushed biscuits and melted butter well and spread it evenly into the bottom of a lined spring clip round tin. Once finished, put it in the fridge to chill while the filling is prepared.

The Filling

3 Tablespoons powdered gelatin
4 Tablespoons hot water
¼ Cup castor sugar
1 x Tin cranberry sauce
2 x 200g Cartons cream cheese
3 x Eggs, separated
1 x Tablespoon almond essence

Method:

In a bowl, mix the cranberry sauce and the caster sugar well. Beat the cream cheese, almond essence and egg yolks well and add the two mixtures together. In a small bowl, mix the gelatin and hot water until the gelatin is dissolved and add to the main mixture and mix thoroughly. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the cheese mixture. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base. Sprinkle crushed biscuits over the top and put in the fringe until firm, about four to five hours. Release the pan’s spring clip and gently slide the cheese cake onto a plate and serve.


Tags: nicki minaj, recipe, cheesecake, almonds, cranberry