No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

This cheesecake is a cinch to throw together! The buttery biscuit base is quick and easy to make and the creamy filling is an all in one mixture, no folding or whipping of cream in a separate bowl, just tip the lot into a large mixing bowl and hay presto you're done. No gelatine either so you only need to boil the kettle if you're having a cuppa!

White Chocolate Cheesecake (No Bake)

I am a huge fan of chocolate (no surprise to my regular readers!) and if it's possible I am an even bigger fan of cheesecake! What better than a delicious slice of creamy and indulgent cheesecake after a sumptuous meal. This recipe is not cloying nor is it too heavy, just the right combination of rich, fragrant and a subtle hint of white chocolate sweetness. In fact I made this cheesecake twice before I got a chance to photograph it, the first time it was eaten in it's entirety  before you could say Cheese :)

5 Ingredients Oreo Cheesecake - No Bake!

On our family holiday this summer we travelled to the beautiful Bunratty Castle in Co. Clare. We stayed in a nearby hotel and enjoyed a couple of nights of sumptuous eating and glorious rest.
 

Bunratty Castle, Co. Clare, built in 1425.

 One meal stood out as being particularly glorious, a meal of pan fried fresh hake in a buttery sauce with creamy potatoes and braised red cabbage, to round out the whole experience I had the most delicious Oreo Cheesecake for dessert.

Luxury Lemon Cheesecake

I was shopping recently and saw an own brand cheesecake much like this, that was priced at a staggering €12, I was horrified. This is much more economical and considering the times we're in....!
This is fairly simple and is just beautiful, the lemon cuts through the silkiness of the cream cheese. If you are not a fan of  jelly, just pipe fresh cream rosettes on top or better still a handful of fresh summer berries dusted with icing sugar. All in all a spectacular cheesecake at a fraction of the price, but more importantly than that, it's the satisfaction of knowing "I made that".

Serves 6-8

Ingredients
200g Digestives biscuits, crushed
100g Butter, melted
400g Full fat cream Cheese
150ml Whipping cream
1 lemon, juice and rind
100g Caster sugar

Topping
150ml boiling water
6 Squares of lemon jelly

Method
Melt the jelly and set aside to cool.

 I sometimes use my stand mixer to crumb the biscuits or place in a bag and bash with a rolling pin, add the melted butter.

Mix thoroughly, tip the biscuit mix into a deep 20cm round loose bottomed tin, smooth out the base firmly with the back of a spoon and chill or freeze for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile mix the remaining ingredients together with in a stand mixer or a hand mixer on high until it forms a stiff peaks.

Spread the lemon cream over the base.

Smooth the top and pour or spoon the cooled jelly gently over the cheesecake up to the rim of the tin and until the whole surface of the cake is covered and chill for 6 hours or overnight. To remove the cheesecake, easy does it is the key here. Heat a sharp knife in a mug of boiling water.

If you rush this stage you will get a jagged edge to the jelly and it wont have the professional finish. Slowly ease the knife around the edge.

Lorraine Pascale's Chocolate Cheesecake

 

I saw this recipe on BBC 2 Monday evening last, Lorraine Pascale, Home Cooking Made Easy. It is a no cook recipe that anyone could replicate at home, even with only minimal baking experience. Some points to note on the recipe, I halved the quantity (there is only four of use here and oh the temptation) and I used a 16cm diameter tin. I have found in the past that full fat cream cheese hold it's shape better and sets quicker than the low fat option. I used milk chocolate throughout, next time I'll use the milk and plain combination for more of a chocolate punch. This is a smooth and silky cheesecake that looks very impressive.

Serves 8

Ingredients
400g Packet chocolate digestives, crushed to fine crumbs
75g Butter, melted and cooled slightly
800g Cream cheese
Icing sugar, to taste
400g Milk chocolate (35% cocoa solids), or you can use a mixture of 300g milk chocolate and 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
1 tsp Vegetable oil
100g White chocolate

Method
Mix the crushed biscuits and butter together in a bowl with the back of a wooden spoon until well combined. Spoon the mixture into a 23cm/9in springform tin and press down very hard all the way around the base until flat and even.

Mix the cream cheese and icing sugar together in a bowl.

Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Pour a quarter of the chocolate into a jug, stir in the oil, then set aside and keep warm. (The chocolate can also be reheated in the microwave for 20 seconds if it cools down.)

Place a large dollop of the cream cheese mixture into the bowl of remaining chocolate and stir until well combined.

Keep adding the mixture, one dollop at a time, and mixing it vigorously until the chocolate mixture becomes smooth and silky and you have added all of the cream cheese. Pour the mixture onto the biscuit base and use the back of a large spoon to smooth the top, pressing down so that no gaps remain.

Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for 20 minutes, or until the chocolate top begins to firm. The cheesecake can also be placed into the freezer for 10 minutes to set. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and make sure the jug of milk chocolate is nice and runny.

Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and pour the milk chocolate on top, spreading it out as you go until the top is completely covered. (For a smooth finish, pick up the cheesecake and tilt it back and forth, letting the chocolate run over and cover the cream cheese filling.) I usually drizzle with the melted white chocolate and allow to set.

This is Lorraine's method for decorating the cheesecake: Drizzle white chocolate lines across the top about 2cm/¾in apart. The neatest way to do this is by putting the chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a very small nozzle. Place the cheesecake so the lines are running towards you, then take a cocktail stick and drag it from left to right, making lines from left to right 2cm/¾in apart to form a grid. Drag the cocktail stick once again from right to left between the toothpick lines that you have just made. You will need to do this quite quickly so the chocolate lines are still runny.


Leave the cheesecake in a cool place to set for about two hours.

Run a hot sharp knife around the inside of the tin and carefully remove the cake. Serve in wedges with a drizzle of single cream.