So.. Popcorn.. Ricotta…Caramel.. Cheesecake.. Does it even need an explanation!? I mean how delicious does that sound!? Plus its creamy, a little salty, a little sweet, a little crunchy and then yes! Its exactly what you probably want to eat right now! 🙂 The baking part is very easy, its basically the waiting game of when the cheesecake will be set for you to pour on that salted caramel and just devour it! Everyone will love it, adults will think ‘hmm ricotta..’ and kids will say ‘ Yes! Popcorn!’.. you literally cant go wrong! Plus its a no-bake treat, which means super easy peasy! And if you substitute the digestive biscuits for the base to something gluten free, then your on a 100% gluten free dessert as well! Perfect right!

Here’s how you bake it!

INGREDIENTS: 

Popcorn Biscuit Base –

• 200g Digestive biscuits
• 2 cups salted popcorn (ready popped)
• 180g unsalted butter, melted – more if needed

Popcorn Ricotta Filling –

• 6 cups salted popcorn – ready popped
• 4 gelatine leaves
• 200g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 300g fresh ricotta, at room temperature
• 50g Turkish yoghurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 200ml cream, whipped, chilled in the fridge

Salted Caramel Sauce – 

• Click here for Salted Caramel ingredients & method 

METHOD:  

Popcorn Biscuit Base – 

1. Prepare your pan, I used a square 10x10inch baking pan, lined with baking paper and buttered on the sides. Make sure the baking paper hangs out a little from each side, so it’s easy to pull the cheesecake out, once it’s ready. Alternatively you can use two bread pans, and make two cheesecakes.
2. In a food processor, add in the digestive biscuits and the popcorn. Blend/whisk until both the biscuits and popcorn become crumbly-like. Then add int he melted butter, and blend slowly, until it all comes together. (Add in more butter if the ingredients still seem too dry). Then pat down (using the back of a spoon or your hands) into your prepared baking tin, and place into freezer until the filling is ready (roughly 20-25 min).

Popcorn Ricotta Filling – 

1. Set your gelatine to bloom in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of cold water.
2. Take your popcorn, and using the food processor again, whisk until it resembles large grains – don’t make it into a powder too much, otherwise there wont be a popcorn texture in the cheesecake.
3. Then in a large bowl, add in the ricotta, cream cheese and sugar. Using either a hand held whisk or a stand mixer, whisk on low-medium until the sugar is combined thoroughly – this should take roughly 3 min.
4. Take your gelatine, and place along with the water into a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove. Whisk, and once the gelatine is completely fully melted, take it off the heat and immediately pour into the mixture. Whisk on medium until the gelatine is fully combined. Roughly 2 min.
5. Then using a spatula, or a wooden spoon, fold in the Turkish yoghurt and the whipped cream. Fold until combined thoroughly. Then add in the popcorn, and fold until combined.
6. Take out your biscuit/popcorn base, and pour in the filling. Make sure you spread evenly, and then place back into the freezer for roughly 2-3hours until set.

Once set, pour your salted caramel sauce over the top, add some popcorn , and voila! Your cheesecake is ready to be eaten and loved by everyone!!! 🙂

ENJOY!