Blueberries x Cheesecake

The other day I got inspired by a recipe in a German magazine called ‘Frau und Familie Ratgeber’. Well, I am a woman, I have a family and never say no to some good advice, especially if it involves desserts and some sweetness in life!

The article covered some desserts that didn’t need any baking: just your two hands, some time to spare and in the fridge it goes…sounds easy right?!

The cover showed a delicously looking blueberry layered cheesecake, well, had to test that one, being full berry season now!

If you’re thinking it might be just the thing for you to try, get your hands on the below ingredients and follow the instructions!

• 5 slices of pumpernickel bread        (or use a mixture of cookies/chocolate or cookies/  speculoos like I did)
• 60 gr butter
• 2 tbsps honey
• 6 gelatine leaves                                      (or 7 if you think your mixture is rather runny)
• 1 bio lemon                                                  (orange is an option too)
• 200 ml cream
• 500 gr cream cheese
• 250 gr quark cheese
• 1 vanilla pod
• 120 gr Sugar
• 4 cl Cointreau or another liquor based on oranges or just use oranje juice
• 500 gr blueberries or a mixture of red fruits as to your own taste or like

Line a springform pan(24 diameter) with parchment paper, break the bread into pieces and mix it with the melted butter and honey. Replace the bread by cookies if you prefer a sweeter cake bottom. Press with your fingers or the back of a spoon so the mixture is spread evenly and set aside in the fridge.

Dissolve the gelatine leaves in cold water and whip the cream up until stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, quark cheese, vanilla, sugar, lemon or orange juice and zeste until you have a smooth mixture. Heat the Cointreau in a small bowl or pan, just gently, it doesn’t need to boil and then press out any water from the gelatine and place it into the liquor mixture. Add two big spoons of your cheese mixture to the liquor, mix and then transfer to the big bowl with the cheese and sugar mix in it. At this point you can add the whipped cream, making sure you have a smooth mixture without lumps in it.  Transfer to your springform, spread evenly and set aside for at least 4 hours. You can add the fruit just before serving.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Note1: preparation time is about 35-40 minutes, quicker if you make the cake bottom the day in advance and you can start straight away with the filling and topping.

Note2: I used 400 gr Philadelphia light and 350 gr cream cheese, as that was what I had in fridge at that moment, works fine!

Note 3: fun too, instead of using a large classic springform, to use tiny cups, great if you’re hosting a party as no fuss about who’s to cut the cake and gets the yummiest fruit parts…

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Enjoy, smakelijk, bon appétit, Guten Appetit!

Ingrid