This cheesecake is the perfect way to celebrate the fruits of summer. You have cream cheese, with its rich creamy depths of flavour, delicately balanced with the vanilla tones of milk chocolate, then topped with sweet, juicy, fresh fruit. Not only is this the time to indulge in the fruits on offer this season, but it is also the time to keep the heat out of the kitchen, with this simple no bake recipe.
BASE:
2 x 200g Food Lover’s shortbread biscuits, crushed
200g butter, melted
FILLING:
500g cream cheese, plain
2 x 385g tins sweetened condensed milk
250ml (1 cup) cream
120g white chocolate, melted, plus extra for serving
10ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract
125ml warm water
20g gelatin powder
TOPPING:
250ml (1 cup) sugar
250ml (1 cup) water
3 sprigs of thyme
2 nectarines, washed and cut into slices
2 dessert peaches, washed and cut into slices
100g gooseberries, fresh
In a bowl, mix together the crushed biscuits and the melted butter. Press this mixture into a greased
23cm cake tin. Place the tin in the fridge for 30 minutes until the biscuit base is firm.
In a clean bowl, mix together cream cheese and condensed milk. Add cream to this, mixing through, then add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Continue mixing together until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the warm water into a cup, add the gelatin powder and mix it together until it has fully dissolved. Add this to the cream cheese mixture, blending it in thoroughly. Pour it into the prepared biscuit base and place it in the fridge to set for about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
To make the fruit topping; place the sugar, water and thyme in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for about 10 minutes. Take the syrup off the heat and allow to cool down for about 15 to 20 minutes, then add the fruit to the syrup.
Before serving, top the cheesecake with the fruit topping and drizzle with extra melted chocolate.
