This sweet and aromatic cheesecake is perfect for entertaining. I foraged the blackberries from local hedgerows, and used ginger nut biscuits for the base. It’s a very late-summer kind of pudding, and keeps well in a freezer for slicing as and when needed. It’s both creamy and tangy, with a warm, fresh after-hit of ginger.
Ingredients:
1 pack ginger nut biscuits
4 tsbp dairy-free spread
200g cashews, soaked in hot water
1/2 tin coconut milk (top fat layer plus liquid)
Juice 1 clementine/ mandarin/ 4 tbsp orange juice
6 large handfuls blackberries
2 tbsp fruit jam
Generous squirt of syrup- I used Freedom fruit syrup, but you can also use brown sugar+ 2 tbsp coconut oil/ golden syrup/ agave. Add more for a sweeter taste
- If you have one, grab a food processor, and crumble the biscuits into it and whizz until fine crumbs. If not, take a large strong freezer bag, or even a clean dustbin bag, and smash the biscuits with a rolling pin. In a separate bowl or pan, add the butter with a spatula and mix into the crumbs. To test the texture, grab a large lump; it should mostly stick together when you squeeze it between your fingers. If it is too dry, scoop in more butter.
- Grease and line a loose bottomed cake tin. I used a standard 9inch one. If you’re doubling this recipe, make sure it has high sides!
- Pour the sweet and crumbly base into the tin, and stick it down into the bottom. Press down hard until it’s firm and even and everything is stuck down- no crumbs floating around on top!
- Place in the fridge or freezer to harden.
- Then, make the filling. Take a large bowl, and add in the cashews, coconut milk, fruit, jam, and syrup. Using an immersion/ stick blender (best for smoothness) whizz all the ingredients together until you have a smooth, soft, batter. It should be thick like cake batter. Taste and add more fruit or syrup or coconut milk if neede
- When you’re happy with the taste of your filling, take a sieve, and press the mixture through with a spoon onto the biscuit base. This will catch the blackberry seeds and make sure your filling is creamy and smooth.
- With the filling on the biscuit base, tap the tin gently on a hard surface to remove air bubbles and even out the top, and freeze until solid. It is important to freeze this cheesecake in order to make it set, but make sure not to serve it straight away- no-one wants to eat frozen cheesecake!
- Once the cheesecake is set, decorate with grated dark chocolate, blackberries, and icing sugar.
Looks yummy
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