When its super warm in the summers the last thing you want to do is stand in front of the oven or bake things that require a lot of heat. However you still always need a dessert.. well I always need a dessert! 😉 So what better way to have something sweet for dessert than baking something that’s ‘no bake’!?! No Bake meaning, no oven needed! Sound good right, well how about baking a no-bake berry cheesecake with a cookie and but base! Sounds GREAT right!? Its super simple and very quick. The only time consuming part is the wait to eat it while it sets int eh freezer. But its definitely worth the wait! 🙂

Here’s how you bake it!

INGREDIENTS:

Berry coulis topping 

• 150g raspberries (I used frozen)
• 90g blueberries (I used frozen)
• 90g blackberries (i used frozen)
• 65g sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• pinch of salt

Cookie & nut crust 

• 300g digestive cookies
• 100g hazelnuts
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 100g butter, melted
• pinch of salt

Vanilla Cheesecake Filling  

• 250g cream
• 2 tsp gelatine
• 350g cream cheese, room temp (I used philedphia)
• 100g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• pinch of salt

METHOD:  

Mixed berry coulis topping:

1. Place all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until berries are soft (continue to press and mush the berries as they become soft).
2. Once all the berries are super soft and broken apart easily by your wooden spoon, then pour the berries into a blender and blitz until smooth, then sieve into a clean bowl to catch all the seeds. If you dont have a blender, then just keep mixing in the saucepan until the berries are completely broken apart and start becoming a very soft mixture. Then sieve the mixture into a clean bowl.
3. Place the bowl into the fridge until ready to use.

Cookie & Nut Crust: 

1. Line a 9″ square or rectangular pan with baking paper & butter. Make sure to have the baking paper hang out from the sides so it becomes easy to pull the cheesecake out afterwards.
2. In a blender, add in the hazelnut and digestive and blitz until crumbs form. Then add in the butter and salt and blitz until you get the consistency of wet sand. (NOTE: If you dont have a blender then you can just bash the cookies and hazelnuts in a ziplock bag and then add the butter and salt and mix with your hands until the desired consistency)
3. Then pour the cookie and nut base into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Put it straight into the freezer until ready to use.

Vanilla Cheesecake: 

1. In a small bowl, add 100g of cream (make sure its cold) and gelatin leaves. Leave it to bloom.
2. In a medium sized bowl, pour the cream cheese and sugar. Then mash with a spoon until the cream cheese is soft and easy to handle and the sugar is combined.
3. Then in a stand mixer (or with a hand held mixer) whip the remaining cream until soft peaks appear. Add in the cream cheese and whip on low speed until combined thoroughly.
4. Then add the vanilla bean paste and salt, mix on low until just combined.

Assembly: 

1. Take your cookie & nut crumb base out. Pour the cheesecake batter on top and spread evenly. Then take your coulis out from the fridge and pour on top. (I usually had a little left over but I used that as a sauce for the cheesecake after it was set! 🙂 )
2. Place into the freezer to set and harden for 2-3 hours or until set completely.
3. Once set, take the cheesecake out by pulling the hanging baking sheet on the sides. Pull the cheesecake out and then cut into small equal squares. Serve with the remaining coulis sauce if you wish.

And Voila! Your ready to eat your no bake berry cheesecake!

Enjoy!