Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – no bake!

This nary cook Christmas cheesecake is designed for sizzling Aussie summers – nary sweating implicit a blistery oven! Designed to service a crowd, it’s the easiest cheesecake look I cognize yet it inactive captures each the hallmarks of a beauteous classic baked cheesecake.

Decorate with whipped cream, berries and rosemary sprigs for an effortless, beauteous festive look.

A Christmas dessert for blistery summertime days

This Christmas dessert is made particularly with chap Aussies successful mind. While fractional the satellite is enjoying the magic of snowy Christmases, present successful Australia, we’re soaking up the blazing summertime sun!

So though determination volition ever beryllium a spot successful my bosom for the great Aussie Pav and classical Christmas cake, thing that doesn’t necessitate an oven gets an other large thumbs-up from me. Introducing – my brand-new Christmas cheesecake that does not necessitate usage of the oven astatine all!

I emotion that it looks truthful festive yet there’s nary fiddling with fondant oregon hunting down Christmas barroom toppers. It’s conscionable berries, orangish slices, rosemary and a dusting of icing sugar!

About this Christmas Cheesecake

This is officially the easiest cheesecake look I know. It’s easier and faster than baked cheesecakes due to the fact that there’s nary baking, cooling oregon stressing astir a cracked surface.

And it’s easier than my circular no-bake cheesecake due to the fact that this slab signifier has nary biscuit sides (which tin beryllium fiddly), conscionable the base!

Yet , this slab-form festive Christmas cheesecake captures each the light-but-creamy, indulgent charm of a beauteous classical baked cheesecake. It’s not excessively saccharine arsenic I’m precise peculiar astir sweetness level successful cakes. I picture it arsenic French / Japanese patisserie level sweet, which is little saccharine than emblematic Western desserts.

It’s successful a ample rectangle signifier “slab form” and thinner than regular circular cheesecakes due to the fact that it’s designed to service a ample fig of radical – 18 to 24 people. It’s besides perfect for gatherings wherever there’s plentifulness of nutrient due to the fact that the serving information tin beryllium smaller than cutting wedges of gangly circular cheesecakes.

And person I mentioned the Biscoff biscuit base?? Love the Christmasy flavour!

A portion erstwhile chopped into 24 pieces. Ideal information aft a large meal!

Ingredients

This nary cook Christmas cheesecake is based connected the classical no-bake cheesecake I published earlier this twelvemonth – popular implicit to work glowing reviews! Here’s what you need:

Biscoff biscuit basal (or not!)

I usage Biscoff for the basal due to the fact that it’s having a infinitesimal (so you get thoroughfare cred, particularly with the nether 25 crowd), it has built-in vacation flavours (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg – that benignant of thing) and I similar the affluent aureate colour. However, you tin usage immoderate plain biscuits you privation – spot beneath for suggestions.

• Biscoff – This is spiced biscuit from Belgium has been astir “forever” successful Europe but truly gained popularity successful caller years acknowledgment to societal media. It’s a beauteous spiced cookie, and perfect for this peculiar look due to the fact that of the vacation spicing, but I truly don’t cognize wherefore radical suffer their minds implicit it. (Speaking frankly, arsenic a thoroughly un-hip foodie!).

  It’s besides a small dearer than different plain biscuits. Don’t fret if you can’t find it oregon similar a much economical option, noting that you request to bargain 2 packets arsenic the look calls for 300g/10oz and each packet is 250g/8.8oz. (I did effort with conscionable 1 packet but the basal was excessively bladed and lacked structure).

  Other biscuit options – you tin usage immoderate plain biscuits you want. Marie Crackers (common cheesecake basal present successful Australia), digestives, graham crackers (US). You tin besides adhd a interaction of other spices for vacation flavour if you privation (nutmeg, ginger, each spice), spot look notes for amounts.

  Avoid biscuits/cookies coated with chocolate, oregon sandwiched with filling (like Oreos) due to the fact that it whitethorn impact however good this no-bake basal sets.

• Butter – This is what holds the cheesecake basal unneurotic due to the fact that it solidifies erstwhile the cheesecake is refrigerated.

• Sugar – Just a smidge, for a boost of sweetness successful the base. It is, aft all, the holidays! 🙂

• Cinnamon – For an other interaction of vacation flavour.

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The no-bake cheesecake filling

Alarmed due to the fact that you spotted gelatine? Don’t be! See beneath for why.

• Cream cheese – I ever usage Philadelphia but if you’ve had occurrence with different brand, consciousness escaped to usage that. 

  Softened to country somesthesia – Take it retired of the fridge astatine slightest 1 hr anterior truthful the pick food is softened, not fridge-cold-hard. We privation to beryllium capable to bushed it truthful it’s rather soft, creaseless and fluffy truthful the whipped pick mixes effortlessly into it without knocking retired the aerial (which means a beauteous airy aerated cheesecake filling = win!). It’s besides important to guarantee the gelatine mixes successful smoothly. Nobody wants small bits of gelatine successful their cheesecake! 😱

  Blocks not tubs – This look calls for pick food blocks which are firmer than pick food successful tubs which are softer arsenic they are designed for spreading. If you tin lone get tubs, you conscionable request to usage a small much gelatine. See notes successful the look paper for quantity.

• Gelatine – This is indispensable for a no-bake cheesecake that rivals the texture of a beauteous classical baked cheesecake (which has ovum successful the filling, that’s what sets it), 1 that is light-yet-creamy yet acceptable capable to chopped slices. Without gelatine, you request much pick food truthful the cheesecake sets capable to cut, which means it’s heavier and denser. See FAQ beneath for immoderate inheritance connected versions I tried.

  Gelatine is cheap, casual to use, and sold astatine regular market stores. I similar to usage powder alternatively than gelatine leaves erstwhile I tin due to the fact that it’s much accessible and (important to me) the spot is comparatively cosmopolitan astir the world. The aforesaid cannot beryllium said for gelatine leaves. 🙂

  Find gelatine powder successful the baking aisle successful tiny tubs (pictured above) oregon packets of tiny sachets (open and measurement utilizing a teaspoon).

• Water – This is to “bloom” the gelatine (explained successful the measurement photos below). I usage the bare minimum for the magnitude of gelatine I usage – conscionable 3 tablespoons – truthful we don’t dilute flavour.

• Whipping pick – Whipped pick helps make a beauteous airy textured filling by aerating the pick cheese. You tin usage thickened / dense cream, oregon regular cream. Just marque definite it tin beryllium whipped due to the fact that not each pick is made for whipping (for example, pouring cream, dolloping cream). The statement should accidental if it tin beryllium whipped.

  Couple much pick rules:
  1. No debased fat! Now is not the time! It volition compromise the texture.
  2. Fridge cold! The pick needs to beryllium fridge acold other it volition not whip properly.

• Sugar – Best to usage caster sweetener (superfine sugar) which are finer grains than regular sweetener (granulated sugar) truthful we tin beryllium assured it volition dissolve. It’s particularly important due to the fact that this is simply a no-bake look truthful we don’t person vigor connected our broadside present to melt the sugar. If you lone person regular sugar, that’s ok. Just bushed the pick food for a small longer than per the look and hitch the substance betwixt your fingers to guarantee there’s nary sweetener grains left.

• Vanilla – Please usage vanilla extract which is existent flavour extracted from vanilla beans (hence the name!) alternatively than vanilla essence which is imitation. It’s particularly important for no-bake recipes due to the fact that the vanilla flavour is “raw” and doesn’t person the payment of baking successful the oven to bring retired the flavour.

• Lemon juice – Just a touch, to bring a smidge of tang to the filling. It’s not a woody breaker if you don’t person it, conscionable permission it out.

• Salt – Standard baking signifier these days to bring retired the flavours successful saccharine baked goods. We usage conscionable a tiny magnitude truthful it doesn’t marque it salty by immoderate agelong of the imagination.

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Decorations

For a Christmas look, I smothered the cheesecake with a reasonably generous magnitude of whipped pick past decorated it with berries and rosemary dusted with icing sugar.

I besides tucked successful immoderate orangish slices to adhd a bully splash of agleam orangish and interruption up the engaged wide of berries. I deliberation it works rather well!

Other decorating ideas – The rectangle cheesecake aboveground is virtually similar a blank canvas, acceptable for you to enactment your magic! Here are a fewer much decorating ideas:

• Aussie summertime Pavlova style! I spot passionfruit, mango slices, strawberries and blueberries with small mint leaves for a splash of colour. Gorgeous!

• Fruit compote and sauces (also see Mango Cheesecake, Strawberry and Blueberry Cheesecake, and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars);

• Sauce – Serve with a cocoa oregon salted caramel sauce, though erstwhile I marque cocoa oregon caramel cheesecakes I similar to get those flavours wrong the cheesecake excessively by swirling them successful (I besides usually adhd a hidden furniture inside, for other impact). They volition beryllium coming onto my website eventually! 🙂

• Sprinkle of nuts and/or cocoa shavings – Think, macadamia and achromatic chocolate, peanuts and acheronian chocolate, pecans and chocolate, pistachios oregon almonds. Lovely summation of texture!

• Pretty outpouring plot – Edible flowers, petals and leaves (dried oregon fresh), pistachios, golden leaf! I person visions I anticipation to marque a world 1 day. 🙂

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How to marque this Slab No Bake Cheesecake

This slab signifier cheesecake is easier than my classical circular no cook cheesecake which has a biscuit wall. Although not technically difficult, biscuit walls tin beryllium a spot fiddly if you’re a archetypal timer.

The 1 important measurement to retrieve is to line the cookware with plentifulness of insubstantial overhang truthful you tin easy assistance the cheesecake retired of the cookware erstwhile it is set.

1. biscoff crust

If you don’t person a nutrient processor, conscionable enactment the biscuits successful a ziplock container and bash with a rolling pin oregon nutrient mallet (it’s precise satisfying). Because of the measurement we are using, you mightiness find it easier to bash this successful 2 batches.

1. Prepare cookware – Lightly grease a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ rectangle cookware with food oregon a plain lipid spray (I usage canola), conscionable capable for insubstantial to stick. I emphasise LIGHTLY due to the fact that if you usage excessively overmuch butter, it acts arsenic a glue erstwhile refrigerated truthful you person to hold until the food softens earlier removing the cheesecake (Yes I cognize this from idiosyncratic acquisition 😁)

   Then enactment the pan with baking insubstantial (parchment paper) with LOTS of overhang connected the agelong side, to marque it casual to assistance the cheesecake retired astatine the end. It’s good if you don’t get 100% sum connected the basal (like mine, due to the fact that modular baking insubstantial is simply a small shorter than my pan).

2. Blitz – Break the Biscoff biscuits up astir by manus and blitz until they go good crumbs, astir 10 to 15 seconds connected high, depending connected however almighty your nutrient processor is. Add the butter, cinnamon, sweetener and salt, past blitz again until it becomes bedewed sand.

   CHECK for clumping ability! The substance should property unneurotic good erstwhile pinched betwixt fingers. This is important to cheque due to the fact that structural integrity of the basal is cardinal to guarantee your cheesecake holds unneurotic erstwhile you assistance it retired of the pan!

   ⚠️ Not pressing together? Just adhd a small other melted butter. You mightiness person this occupation if you utilized a little abdominous biscuit than Biscoff, oregon if they were a spot stale.

5. Pour the crumbs into the prepared pan.

6. Press it successful firmly. The firmer you property it in, the much unchangeable your basal volition be. Then refrigerate until required.

Note: The thought present with this no-bake biscuit basal is that the melted food solidifies and this is what holds the biscuits crumbs together.

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2. BLOOM THE GELATINE

There is nary request to fearfulness gelatine! It’s elemental to usage if you conscionable travel the steps I’ve provided. There’s a crushed for each direction!

1. Bloom gelatine – Put the h2o successful a tiny vessel past sprinkle the gelatine crossed the surface. Mix with a tiny whisk (or spoon) – it volition go similar lumpy jelly. Then permission it for 5 minutes. This is called “blooming” the gelatine, and it makes gelatine pulverization dissolve truthful it tin beryllium stirring into liquids to marque them set.

   ⚠️ Don’t dump the gelatine successful 1 spot and don’t determination h2o into the gelatine. This tin origin the gelatine to crook into a large lump immediately.

2. Rubbery! The gelatine should solidify into a steadfast rubber. If it doesn’t, past your gelatine is dormant – clip to get another!

3. Gently re-melt – Microwave for 15 seconds connected precocious to melt it past premix until lump free.⚠️ Do not fto it boil arsenic it tin destruct the mounting abilities of gelatine.

4. Cool for 5 minutes portion you marque the filling. The melted gelatine volition beryllium whipped into the filling.

   ⚠️ Make sure the gelatine does not person a tegument connected the aboveground oregon sides erstwhile you determination it successful arsenic this volition not premix into the cheesecake filling properly. If it does, re-heat for 5 seconds successful the microwave.

   ⚠️ Do not determination blistery gelatine into pick oregon thing that it could melt oregon deflate. Cool it archetypal but marque definite it’s inactive successful liquid form. It’s good to usage somewhat warmer than country temperature.

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3. MAKE FILLING

I similar utilizing a handheld electrical beater to marque the filling arsenic you tin determination it astir the vessel alternatively than stopping and scraping down the sides similar you’d request to bash with a basal mixer. You besides lone request to usage 1 attachment (the whisks). If you usage a basal mixer, usage the whisk attachment to whip the cream, past the paddle attachment for the pick food measurement (stand mixer whisk whitethorn aerate it excessively overmuch due to the fact that it’s much almighty = ample unsightly bubbles + hazard of illness mid-setting).

1. Whip cream – Put the pick successful a vessel and whip it connected precocious for 2 minutes oregon until stiff peaks form. We’re not looking for silky brushed whipped cream, we privation afloat connected stiff whipped cream, arsenic this makes our cheesecake beauteous airy and fluffy.

2. Beat pick food – Put the pick food and sweetener successful a abstracted vessel and utilizing the aforesaid whisk (no request to cleanable it), bushed for 1 infinitesimal connected precocious conscionable until it’s softly smooth. Then adhd the vanilla, lemon, brackish and melted cooled gelatine, past bushed it successful conscionable until dispersed.⚠️ Don’t bushed excessively due to the fact that it tin origin unsightly ample aerial bubbles successful the filling (not the extremity of the satellite though, I’m conscionable fussy!). 

3. Fold successful whipped pick – Using a rubber spatula, fold done astir 1/4 of the pick into the pick food filling. This lightens up the pick food substance a spot earlier adding the remainder of the cream, truthful little aerial is knocked retired of the cream.Once the archetypal pick is mostly mixed through, mildly premix done the remaining cream. Don’t disturbance vigorously arsenic you volition sound aerial retired of the whipped pick which volition marque the cheesecake filling denser than we are aiming for! 

4. Pour the substance into the prepared crust. 

5. Smooth – Gently dispersed the filling crossed the basal and creaseless the surface.

6. Set – Cover the cookware with a ample cutting tray, baking tray oregon foil (not cling wrap, it mightiness sag and interaction the surface). Refrigerate for astatine slightest 12 hours until the filling is set.

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4. REMOVING FROM THE PAN AND DECORATING

1. Remove cheesecake from pan – Use the insubstantial overhang to assistance the cheesecake retired of the cookware and transportation it to your serving platter. Then descent the insubstantial retired from underneath.

   Tips/notes:
   – Sagging base: Don’t fret if your basal sags a small spot erstwhile you assistance it out, it inactive holds together. You’ll spot successful the look video excavation is not 100% stiff and straight, and it’s wholly ok.
   – Stuck! It you were a small excessively enthusiastic greasing your cookware with food and your cheesecake is stuck, conscionable bedewed a beverage towel with blistery h2o and enactment the cookware connected it to accelerate softening the food without having to permission the cheesecake retired for excessively agelong (blazing blistery Aussie summers are not a person of cheesecake). It should lone instrumentality a infinitesimal oregon two.

2. Decorate arsenic you please! Here’s what I did for a Christmas Cheesecake look. First, dispersed generously with whipped cream.

3. Pile connected berries (I utilized cherries, raspberries, tiny strawberries), tuck successful orangish slices (to interruption up the ocular wide of berries), poke immoderate rosemary sprigs in.

4. Dust with icing sweetener / confectionary sugar. This ever makes things look truthful pretty!

Assemble up with stabilised whipped cream!

There you go! My marque caller Christmas dessert for 2024 built with practicality successful mind.

Speaking of which, I person a golden extremity for making this ahead! Because adjacent though it’s casual to constitute the acquisition to decorate the cheesecake conscionable anterior to serving, the world is that cipher wants to permission the enactment to spell and whip cream, dispersed it connected the cheesecake, decorate and dust…

But whipped cream, being the delicate happening that it is, starts to deflate wrong a fewer hours. But not if you stabilise the whipped cream! You conscionable request to adhd a small gelatine erstwhile you whip the cream, and this volition stabilise it capable truthful it stays fluffy for a mates of days, similar it was freshly whipped. It doesn’t change the texture oregon sensation of the whipped cream, and cipher but you (and anyone you determine to disclose your concealed to) volition know.

See the look notes for however to marque the stabilised whipped cream. It’s a crippled changer for pick decorated cakes – truthful handy! – Nagi x

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Watch however to marque it

My signature Christmas desserts

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Life of Dozer

After Dozer’s fertiliser munching emergency-vet-run earlier this week, blessed to study helium seems fine. Here helium is, looking contrite and apologetic for each the interest and hassle helium caused. (You request to look intimately to drawback the apology successful his eyes. You mightiness request to stroke up the photos. Dozer besides acknowledgment everybody for their interest and good wishes.)

The station Easy Christmas Cheesecake Slab – nary bake! appeared archetypal connected RecipeTin Eats.