G&T Cheesecake
In all honesty, the concept of this recipe I found in a wonderful cook book hidden away in my kitchen, and after much creative thought, I decided that this recipe ‘with a touch of JULES’ could be a winner for those dear family members and friends who are partial to a wee G&T upon an evening.
Very easy to make, all really that is needed is patience whilst it sets, so best to make the day before and add the G&T jelly topping the following day.
Speaking of gin, I know that for the purists only a fine quality is best, however, for those wishing not to have alcohol, it is also possible nowadays to buy ‘non alcoholic’ brand from local hypermarkets offering the same aroma and flavour required to make this dessert such a winner.
Anyway, I leave the final decision with you as per your preference for the gin but enforce again that both work well.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
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Oaty Base:
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150g oats
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100g butter- melted
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2 tbsp demerara sugar- or coconut sugar
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Cheesecake Filling:
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6 leaves of gelatine
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100g apple juice
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100g caster sugar- or coconut sugar
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375g mascarpone cheese
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160g cream cheese
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150g crème fraiche
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120ml gin- alcohol free or with alcohol
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3 lemons- grated zest and juice
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G&T jelly:
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4 leaves gelatine
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20g sugar syrup- 1tbsp sugar with 20ml water
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120ml tonic water
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50ml gin- non alcoholic or with alcohol
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Decoration:
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Festive decorations- see image
Instructions
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Prepare a 22cm round, loose bottomed tin:
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01 Lightly oil the sides and base of a non stick loose bottomed or spring-clip cake tin, using a circle of non stick paper to line the base.
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Prepare base:
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02 In a bowl mix all dry ingredients. Melt butter, pour into oats and sugar, mixing well. Tip into the tin and press down well into the base (no need to go up the sides).
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03 Place in the oven and bake 15 minutes until lightly toasted and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.
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Prepare filling:
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04 First soak the gelatine leaves in enough cold water to cover for approximately 5 minutes.
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05 Heat the apple juice and caster sugar in a small pan until hot. Remove from the heat. Now remove the gelatine leaves from the water and squeeze out any excess liquid, and place in the hot apple juice to melt. Stir until dissolved. Allow to cool.
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06 In a large bowl mix together the mascarpone, cream cheese, crème fraiche, lemon rind and juice. Blend until smooth, now add the apple and gelatine mixture, blending well. When all combined pour on top of the baked flapjack base. Place in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.
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Prepare the G&T jelly:
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07 Soak 3 leaves of gelatine in enough cold water to cover (approximately 5 minutes).
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08 Meanwhile, over a low heat slowly dissolve the sugar into the 20ml of water. When dissolved raise the heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly.
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09 Now add the gelatine leaves, squeezing away any excess water and slowly melt. Stirring well.
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10 Add the gin and tonic, and leave to cool to room temperature.
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11 Finally, when cool, slowly pour this jelly mixture evenly over the top of the cheesecake. CHILL in the fridge until set. This can take a minimum of 4 hours.
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To serve:
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12 When you are ready to serve, warm a palette knife into hot water and run this around the inside of the tin, unclip and remove carefully. Lay on serving plate and decorate.
Notes
Please always select a very high quality, natural apple juice (I happened to find one mixed with a touch of ginger which worked a treat). As this cheesecake is light in texture, I also recommend to place it in the freezer for an hour or so before removing from the tin, as this will help to firm up the cheesecake and make removal easier (especially when removing from the base) but if this action proves problematic do not be alarmed, simply serve with the base intact. I also recommend to only add the G&T jelly once the cheesecake filling is well set, so that it will sit nicely on the top. I often make this cheesecake the day before, chill it well overnight and then add the jelly topping. By the way, you can freeze the whole thing (yes with the jelly topping) if you so wish.
