cookery
Oven-free, easy-to-follow recipes that won’t add to your energy bills!
Lemon cheesecake
Serves 12
Ready in 40 mins, plus chilling
FOR THE BASE
350g shortbread biscuits
100g salted or unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
350ml cold double cream
500g full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature
120g icing sugar 4tbs lemon juice
FOR THE TOPPING
Lemon zest
150ml double cream
6 lemon slice halves
1 Line the bottom of a 20cm round springform cake tin with a circle of non-stick baking paper.
2 Put the biscuits into a food processor and process until finely crushed. Alternatively, put them into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Tip into a large mixing bowl, then pour in the melted butter and mix with a spoon until fully combined. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of your prepared tin with the back of a spoon, then pop into the fridge while you make the filling.
3 For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, whip the cream with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form. In a separate large bowl, beat together the soft cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice with the electric mixer until just combined, then fold in the whipped cream until just combined. Do not overmix as this can make the cheesecake go runny.
4 Remove the chilled base from the fridge, then spoon in the filling, smoothing it out onto the base to avoid any gaps. Chill for at least
6 hrs, or overnight, if possible, until completely set.
5 For the topping, remove the cheesecake from the tin and transfer onto a serving plate, then sprinkle lemon zest evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
6 Whip the cream to stiff peaks, then transfer to a piping bag with your favourite nozzle and pipe around the edge of your cheesecake. Decorate with the lemon slices however you wish, using the photo as a guide, then serve straight away or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Cookies & cream mini cheesecakes
Makes 9
Ready in 20 mins, plus chilling
FOR THE BASE
150g cookies and cream biscuits (I use Oreos)
45g unsalted or salted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
250ml cold double cream
350g full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature
100g icing sugar
55g (about 5) cookies and cream biscuits, finely crushed
TO DECORATE
200ml cold double cream
2 cookies and cream biscuits, finely crushed
4½ cookies and cream biscuits, cut in half
1 For the base, line a muffin tin with
9 muffin paper cases.
2 Put the biscuits into a food processor and process until finely crushed. Alternatively, put them into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Tip into a medium mixing bowl, then pour in the melted butter and mix until fully combined
