My idea of a dreamy Saturday would go something along the lines of this – A lay in, until around say 8am, a strong black coffee, maybe a workout to fully awaken me, followed by shopping, lunch and some baking. When the evening comes around, I’d be ready for more socializing and of course, more eating.
Interestingly, that’s pretty much a description of my last Saturday, I decided to slow down the pace for a weekend and take some gratitude for the little things. At the end of the day, you can only “Go Hard” for so long and I really wanted to just go home and move at a slower pace.
I made this dessert to take as a contribution to dinner our friends are following Slimming World with huge success, it’s changed their lives entirely and it’s a joy to see. In the support, I made my version of this cheesecake “lower fat” (using lightest cream cheese and sweetener) but I’ll leave the calorific content entirely in your hands.
Now, time for a bit of honesty, I had not one but two massive malfunctions trying to make Meringue I’ve had success before but I’m not sure if I should blame the recipe or my vigorous whisking, but I want to blame something. Basically, my fluffy peaks flopped and I created a crispy, deflated sticky mess. As a result, I cheated and brought “Strawberries and Cream” meringue from the supermarket!
Ingredients (Makes 4)
360g Cream Cheese
30g Icing sugar (or sweetener)
Splash of lemon juice
70g Butter (or spread for lower fat option)
185g Biscuits
Strawberries (Around 6)
Meringue (4 Large or 8 Small)
Optional – Mixed berries (I used blueberries and raspberries)
Instructions
This recipe can make 4 generous sized cheesecakes or 6 modestly sized cheesecakes.
Start by setting aside ramekins or dessert glasses, then place the biscuits into a plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin. Now pour the biscuits into a mixing bowl, melt the butter and mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Spoon the mix into ramekins and firmly press down before placing in the fridge to chill (around 30mins will do).
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and icing sugar, add a splash of lemon juice and throw in some berries if required. Spoon on top of the biscuit base and use meringue and strawberries to decorate. Return these the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Tell me, what’s your favorite cheesecake? I think this needs to be a more frequent part of my life!
Katie
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