I don’t tend to bake sweet treats much these days. Not because I don’t enjoy it (I really do!) – its just that I generally crave savoury snacks over sweet – particularly when the weather is warmer. But now that the days are getting shorter, and t-shirts are being replaced with snuggly knits and scarves – there is something quite comforting about indulging in something sweet.
This strawberry cheesecake made an appearance at our Easter lunch. Actually it was one of two cakes we made for the occasion (the other being a tim tam cheesecake). I loved its simplicity – and the fact that the beautiful strawberries were the star of the show. It was also a non-baked version – so we could pull it together the day before.
I used shortbread for the base – flavoured with a little coconut. The creamy filling was made with cream cheese, cream, sweetened condensed milk and, of course, fresh strawberries. Jazzed up with a little fresh lime juice and zest.
The overall result was a cheesecake that was effortlessly delicious. Packed with flavour (and had me going back for seconds in the days that followed). A nice break from the chocolate overload over Easter too!
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- 250 g shortbread biscuits
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 125 g melted butter
- 500 g cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 395 g can sweetened condensed milk
- 500 g fresh strawberries hulled
- 200 ml cream
- 4 limes zested and juiced
- 6 gelatine leaves soaked in water
Ingredients
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- Grease and line a springform baking tin.
- Process biscuits and coconut until they are a fine crumb. Add the melted butter, and process until combined. Press into the prepared tin, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and condensed milk to a clean food processor, and process until smooth. Add 400g of the strawberries and cream, and continue to process until smooth.
- Heat the lime juice in a small saucepan until simmering. Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves, and add to the heated juice. Stir until dissolved, then allow to cool slightly.
- Add the gelatine mix to the processor, along with the lime zest, and process until combined. Carefully pour the mixture on top of the base, and refrigerate until set.
- Remove the cake from the tin, and top with extra strawberries to serve.
We are really fortunate to have made some great friends in our street. Two couples who have kids of a similar age – living only a few houses away. Despite all being rather busy with work, and life, we’ve been making a point of catching up when we can. For playdates here and there, or for family-friendly lunches on the weekend when the kids can run amok while the adults catch up on the happenings of late.
