I LOVE cheesecake. It is my favourite dessert. I judge restaurants (and people) by the cheesecakes they make. And so far, my journey to cheesecake heaven has not been too sweet. Most people never get cheesecake right, and combine that with the price of cream cheese in India, got me thinking...there must be a another way!
Which is why I jumped for joy one fine day while watching Masterchef Australia. During a Masterclass, Matt Preston showed this quick and simple cheats version of a cheesecake (or cheats cake as I like to call it :P). Using his recipe as a base, I decided to try my less fancy more simple version. I'm sticking to incorporating the lemon flavour, but instead of chilli, I'm going for a more traditional cheesecake topping-Strawberry compote. And since this is a cheats recipe, I'm going for a modified version- Strawberry Jam.
You will need:
Digestive Biscuits or Marie Biscuits or Graham Crackers...actually any plain biscuit will do
100gms Butter (melted)
250ml Cream
400ml Condensed Milk
Zest and juice of 2 Limes
(Note: I had some beautiful Limoncello from Italy. So I've used just one lime and a splash of the liqueur)
For the base, crush the biscuits into crumbs along with some melted butter. I like coarse crumbs so I used a motar and pestle. Once combined, press the mix firmly into the base of the bowl. At this point, I will recommend baking the biscuit mix in an oven for around 10 mins, its not mandatory but it will really add some texture and bring your cake together.
In a bowl, whip cream to incorporate as much air as you can. The cream should ideally form soft peaks. In another bowl, whip the condensed milk until thick and mix in the lime juice and zest. Now fold in the cream into the condensed milk mixture until just combined. Pour the mix into the bowl with the crumb base and refrigerate until firm.
Serve with: My cheats version of your favourite berry topping. Pick your favourite jam flavour, be it Blueberry, Raspberry, Cherry, Apricot or my favourite, Strawberry. Gently warm the jam on a low heat. Stir in some honey (optional). If you want a thick sauce, add in some corn starch. Set aside to cool down somewhat and spoon over the cheesecake. Try experimenting with the base as well. You can use oreos or even pretzels as a base, just skip the butter though
Tip: Make sure you use a wet and very sharp knife to cut the cake
