Line a 24-hole mini muffin tin with paper liners. This is crucial for easy removal later on.

First, make the base. Place the digestive biscuits in a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs. Alternatively, put them in a sealed bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, add the demerara sugar if using, and stir in the melted butter until the mixture resembles damp sand.

Spoon about a tablespoon of the crumb mixture into each paper liner. Use the back of a teaspoon or a small glass to press the base down firmly and evenly. Place the tray in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the room-temperature cream cheese and sifted icing sugar together on a medium speed until completely smooth and free of lumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. This should take about 2-3 minutes.

Add the zest of two lemons and the juice of one to start. Beat again until just combined. Taste the mixture – if you prefer a sharper tang, add the juice of the second lemon. Stir in the vanilla extract.

In a separate, clean bowl, whip the cold double cream until it holds soft peaks. Be careful not to over-whip. What works best for me is to stop when the whisk leaves a trail that holds its shape for a moment. For a detailed guide on this, BBC Good Food has an excellent tutorial on how to whip cream correctly.

Gently add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture. Using a large metal spoon or spatula, fold it in carefully until there are no white streaks remaining. The goal is to keep the air in the cream, which gives the cheesecake its light texture.

Remove the muffin tin from the fridge. Spoon or pipe the lemon filling evenly over the biscuit bases, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon.

Return the tray to the fridge and chill for a minimum of 4 hours, or preferably overnight, until the cheesecakes are firm to the touch. This resting period is non-negotiable for a perfect set.

Once set, carefully remove the cheesecake bites from the tin. If you like, you can garnish them just before serving with a small swirl of whipped cream, some white chocolate shavings, or a piece of candied lemon peel.