Prepare the crust: Place the digestive biscuits in a sealed freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs with a few slightly larger pieces — the texture should resemble wet sand. Mix the crumbs with melted butter and a pinch of salt until the mixture clumps when pressed between your fingers.

Line your muffin tray: Cut six strips of baking parchment, each about 15cm by 8cm, and press them into the wells of a standard 12-hole muffin tray so the edges stick up like handles. This makes lifting the cups out effortless later.

Press the crust: Divide the biscuit mixture evenly among the six lined wells — about two tablespoons per cup. Press it down firmly with the back of a small spoon or the bottom of a shot glass. You want a compact, even layer that will hold together after baking.

Blend the filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cottage cheese with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. The mixture should look smooth and creamy, with no visible curds remaining. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until the batter turns pale and slightly thickened.

Add remaining ingredients: Sprinkle in the caster sugar, vanilla extract, plain flour, cornflour, and lemon zest. Beat on low speed just until combined — about 30 seconds. The batter should be silky and pourable, with a faint lemony scent rising from the bowl. If you scrape the side, the mixture should fall back in a smooth ribbon.

Fill and bake: Divide the filling evenly among the crust-lined cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake at 160°C (fan-assisted) for 22 to 25 minutes. The cheesecakes are done when the edges look set and slightly puffed, but the centres still wobble gently when you jiggle the tray — like a firm jelly. The surface should be pale gold with no browning.

Cool and chill: Leave the tray on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes at room temperature. The cups will deflate slightly as they cool. Then transfer the tray to the fridge and chill for at least 3 hours — overnight is better. The texture firms up beautifully, becoming dense and creamy rather than crumbly.