Name: Strawberry cheesecake bites
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 275 min
Yield: 16 pieces
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 150 g biscuits; 80 g unsalted butter; 400 g cream cheese; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ½ lemon, juiced; 125 ml whipping cream; 5 sheets gelatine; 100 g fine sugar; 250 g strawberries, hulled; 125 ml whipping cream; 8 strawberries, to decorate

A cold dessert: small squares of no-bake cheesecake with a biscuit base, a creamy layer of cream cheese and strawberries, and a swirl of whipped cream with half a strawberry on top. The oven stays off and you make 16 pieces in a square tin. A tip: do not let the strawberry mixture get too warm before you mix it into the cream cheese, otherwise the cream cheese goes lumpy.

Method

Make the base

Line a 20 x 20 cm square tin with baking paper that hangs over the edges. Crush the biscuits finely, mix with the melted butter and press the mixture firmly into the tin. Chill.

Make the cream cheese mixture

Mix the cream cheese with the vanilla extract and the lemon juice. Whip 125 ml cream and mix it into the cream cheese in batches, mixing for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Make the strawberry mixture

Soak the gelatine in cold water. Purée the strawberries, warm the purée with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved and simmer briefly. Take it off the heat, squeeze out the gelatine and dissolve it in the warm mixture.

Combine

Pour the strawberry mixture in a thin stream into the cream cheese mixture while mixing. Keep 4 tbsp of the strawberry mixture aside. Pour the rest onto the base and smooth the top.

Marble

Spread the reserved strawberry mixture over the top and drag a skewer through it to make a marbled pattern. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours.

Finish

Cut the cheesecake into 16 pieces. Whip the cream, pipe a swirl onto each bite and top with half a strawberry.

Tips & notes

You need a 20 x 20 cm square tin lined with baking paper. For the base use a firm dry biscuit such as digestive or speculaas. The bites keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and, without the decoration, can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Chef's tip

Let the strawberry mixture cool slightly before mixing it into the cream cheese. Pour it in a thin stream while mixing, so it stays smooth. Cut the bites with a sharp knife dipped in hot water for clean edges.

Variations

With raspberries: use raspberries instead of strawberries.
With chocolate biscuits: make the base with chocolate biscuits for an extra hint of cocoa.

Contains: Gluten Milk