Food + Me = Life

Here’s a recipe for a wonderful no-bake strawberries and cream cheesecake. homemade strawberry jelly with crunch malt biscuit base and vanilla cream center. This is a great show stopping dessert that will have any followers smiling and asking for more!

Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake

Ingredients:

250 gram malt biscuits
150 grams butter, melted

500 grams frozen strawberries
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
3 tsp. gelatin powder or agar agar*
3 tbsp. water

2x 250 gram tubs cream cheese
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla essence
1 lemon zest and juice
2 tsp. gelatin powder or agar agar*
2 tbsp. water
250ml cream, whipped to soft peaks

Method:

1.  Add biscuit’s to food processor and pulse until fine crumb texture is reached, add melted butter and pulse until well combine.
2. Line medium spring-form cake tin with baking paper, tip crumb into the base and press firmly into the tin. Place in the refrigerator.
3. In a medium pot add frozen strawberries, sugar and first measure of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes stirring to avoid berries from sticking and burning.
4. Using a metal masher, mash berries and add juice half lemon.
5. In small microwave save bowl add first measure of gelatin and 3 tbsp. water together, stir and heat in microwave for 30 seconds.
6. Remove and stir until dissolved, pour into strawberry mix and stir to combine.
7. Leave berry mix to sit for 2 minutes, skim off the white foam with a ladle and discard.
8. In stand mixer combine cream cheese, lemon zest and remaining juice, vanilla essence and sugar. Beat with a whisk attachment until smooth and no lumps are present. Repeat the same method as before with the gelatin this time using 2 tsp. gelatin and 2 tbsp. water, whisk into cream cheese mix.
9. Scrap down sides of bowl, add 1/4 whipped cream and stir in. ( this helps to lighten the mixture before folding in remaining cream.)
10. Add remaining cream and fold through cream cheese mix until well incorporated, don’t over mix this will drop the mixture.
11. Pour cream cheese mix into spring-form tin over the base, smooth the top. Pour over cooled strawberry jelly and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until jelly is set.
12. Using a hot knife cut cheesecake into pieces, serve by itself or with cream/yoghurt.

Serves: 12

*Agar Agar can be found at any Asian supermarket or gourmet section at good supermarket. It’s a vegetarian substitute for gelatin.