Wednesday, February 1, 2012

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake haz sugar


A couple of weeks ago, I made the grave blunder of attempting to give up sugar. It was a rookie mistake, because, as most serial giver-uppers will tell you, to stop something cold-turkey can be pretty much impossible, especially when you have as little willpower as I do.

The result was a couple of days of extreme crabbiness that would put Lucy van Pelt’s tetchiness to shame. Gosh, how snappy can you get? (Answer: Very!).

What I should have done was to pace it out, plan what to cut out, do it graaaadually. I eventually came to my senses and got some help, but I think it’s going to be a very long road. Check back here in a year’s time and I’ll let you know where things stand.

Meanwhile, here’s a delicious sugar-laden dessert to help ease the withdrawal pangs (only kidding!).


White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake
serves 10

Ingredients
Base:
200g sweet plain biscuits (eg. Arnott’s Scotch Finger or Nice)
100g butter, melted

Filling:
300g white chocolate, chopped
500g cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup caster sugar
1 cup thickened cream (ie. cream with added gelatine or thickeners)
2 tblsp lemon juice
3 tsp gelatine, whisked into 3 tblsp boiling water
100g raspberries, fresh or frozen (and thawed)
Extra berries, for decoration

Method
1. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper.
2. For the base: Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs (place biscuits in a plastic bag and hit with a rolling pin, or use a food processor), then mix in the melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the base of the cake tin. Place in refrigerator.
3. For the filling: Melt the white chocolate (in a bowl set over boiling water, or in the microwave on low setting in 30-second bursts, until melted). Set aside.
4. Place the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and mix until combined (this can also be done in a food processor). Add the melted white chocolate, cream, lemon juice and gelatine and mix well. Then add the raspberries and mix until just combined.
5. Pour the filling into the biscuit crust and refrigerate for 3 hours, or until firm.
6. To serve: Remove the cheesecake from the tin and top with additional berries and a sprinkle of icing sugar, if desired.

Ingredients, including sugary white chocolate and raspberries;
a food processer means never having to bash biscuits in a plastic bag again;
cutting the baking paper to fit the springform pan is an exact science;
lovely gooey cheesecake filling

A pretty good cheesecake, topped with fresh berries and icing sugar.
What, more sugar? It's for decoration, so it's alright.


It's even prettier from above:

14 comments:

  1. This looks soooooooooooooooooooo good! I love how the berries are so vibrant in colour!

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  2. Wow. Amazing cake there Bel. Gorgeous colours!

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  3. Everything in moderation I say! This cake is so cheerful to look at on this grey day :)

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  4. I tried giving up sugar last year and well it didn't work for too long :) Anyway I'm enjoying it in moderation these days and this cheesecake would be so welcome with my coffee right about now. Looks lovely!

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  5. Whenever I try to give up sugar I just end up totally binging on it a week later. Better to just eat it in moderation, methinks! this cake looks too good to eat in moderation though...dangerous.

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  6. Cold turkey sugar ditch? You are a brave soul, my dear. I agree with Joanne - might as well enjoy it when it's really worth it. This gorgeous cheesecake is definitely one of those occasions.

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  7. Wow Bel, this is so cute...love the white chocolate and the strawberries/raspberries in one bite.
    Always beautiful pictures...hope you are having a great week :)

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  8. Lol love it! I tried to give up sugar, then I made a cheesecake haha! Meanwhile, its freakin amazing!! Just a sneaky slice ;)

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  9. I do love a good cheesecake. Raspberries and White Chocolate are the perfect combination. Oh Bel, I dont think I can ever give up sugar. I have tried everything.. A foodie has her needs and Sugar is one of them ehehehehe. Beautiful presentation. The strawberries and raspberries look fantastic on top of that gorgeous cheesecake.

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  10. I've done the no sugar thing. Then, I discovered I really like to bake, so the no sugar diet was out the window! At present, I do not consume sugar during the week. I have a slice of cake or whatever I bake on the weekend:) That's my sugar allowance:)

    Your cheesecake is lovely! So colourful and cheerful. The cheese layer looks like strawberry frozen yoghurt:)

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  11. Just saw this on Pinterest. It looks and sounds amazing.

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  12. I love how you decorated it with strawberries and raspberries in such a random manner. and.. nooo! we shall never give up sugar... never!

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  13. LOL :D I went cold turkey on the sugar once (and grains...and fruit...). Lasted a week before I caved and ate so much cheesecake and brownies and chocolate that I was pretty much KO'd for the next two days.

    I've since become more...moderate in my policy on sugar xD

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