no-bake – From Helena's Kitchen

April 30, 2021June 18, 2021

Strawberry cheesecake

Another favourite of mine is the strawberry cheesecake. With a creamy filling and a buttery biscuit base, who can resist this classic dessert?

prep time 20 min + refrigerating time 4 hrs

ingredients

for the crust

200g Digestive biscuits
100g melted butter

for the filling

10 g gelatine sheets
250g cream cheese
250g whipping cream
250g strawberry yogurt
90g powdered sugar

for the topping

500g strawberries
2 Tbls sugar + 1 lemon for juicing
70g sugar
30g corn starch

1. Clean and chop the strawberries, add 2 Tbls of sugar and the lemon juice and let marinate, preferably overnight.

2. Line a 26 cm round springform pan with a baking paper on the bottom.

3. Crush the biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin into a fine crumb. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl, then pour over the melted butter. Mix thoroughly until the crumbs are completely coated. Tip them into the prepared tin and press firmly down into the base to create an even layer. Refrigerate for 15-20 min.

4. Put the gelatine sheets in a shallow bowl with cold water.

5. Whip the cream cheese together with the yogurt and the cream, add the powdered sugar and whip some more.

6. Squeeze the gelatine sheets and place in a small pot with a few Tbls of water. Turn on the heat to low and let the gelatine melt, about 1 minute. Add this to the cream and pour the filling over the crumb base. Let refrigerate for 3 hrs.

7. After 3 hrs, separate the juice from the strawberries and add water to make 400 ml of diluted strawberry juice. Place it in a pot on a stove top, add 80 g of sugar and 30g of corn starch and keep stirring for 4-5 minutes.

8. Add the juice to the strawberries and pour the mixture over the cake. Let set for 1 hour in the fridge.

BUON APPETITO!

May 30, 2020April 23, 2021

Lemon cheesecake

My absolute new favorite! I’ve always loved cheese cakes and this tops them all. If you are a lemon lover like me, this will become your favourite.

prep time 15 + 10 min refrigerating time 4h or more

ingredients

for the crust

200g Digestive biscuits, crumbled
100g unsalted butter, melted

for the filling

250g double cream/heavy whipping cream
300g lemon yogurt
200g full fat cream cheese (Philadelphia)
10g gelatine sheets
juice of 1 lemon
100g caster sugar

for the topping

100 ml lemon juice (2 lemons)
100 ml orange juice
70g caster sugar
15g corn starch

for decoration

2 lemons, cut into slices

1. Line a 26 cm round springform pan with a parchment paper on the bottom.

2. Crush the biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor into a fine crumb. Mix the melted butter into the crumbs and press into the pan. Refrigerate for 15 min.

3. Place the gelatine sheets in a bowl of cold water.

3. Whip the cream. In another bowl beat yogurt, cream cheese and sugar. Then beat the cream into the filling.

4. Pour the juice of 1 lemon in a small pan, squeeze the gelatine sheets and add to the lemon juice and place on stove top on low heat for a 1 minute until the gelatine melts. Add this to the cream filling.

5. Take the crust pan from the fridge and spread the cream filling over the biscuit base, and then leave to set in the fridge fully for at least 3 hours. Or 1 hour in the freezer.

6. After 3 hours when the cake is set, mix in a small pan or pot for the curd the lemon and orange juice, sugar and corn starch. Keep stirring for 3-4 minutes on low heat until the curd starts to thicken. It will turn bright yellow. Turn off the heat.

7. Keep stirring while the curd cools down. Take the cake from the fridge and pour the curd on top, move the pan slightly in a rotatory movement for the curd to set evenly. Place once again in the fridge for 1 hour.

8. Open the springform pan and carefully slide the cake onto a serving plate or tray. Decorate with lemon slices cut into halves.

BUON APPETITO!

August 16, 2019May 30, 2020

Strawberry tiramisù

Tiramisù is one of my all time favourite desserts and the summer version with strawberries is to die for.

prep time 20 min refrigerating time up to 3 hrs

ingredients for 6

250g mascarpone
250g whipping cream
3 eggs
200g Pavesini cookies
500g fresh strawberries
5 tablespoons sugar
juice of 1 lemon
a few mint leaves to garnish

1. You start with making the strawberry juice in which to dip your Pavesini cookies. Take half of the strawberries, clean them and cut into small pieces. Pour over them the lemon juice and 3 Tbls of sugar and mix well. Put into the fridge for at least for 6 hrs, better yet overnight. Blend it the next day.

2. Whip 2 yolks and 1 whole egg with 2 Tbls of sugar. Some whip the yolks and the whites apart, I don’t think it has a great impact on this dessert.

2. Add mascarpone and whip a few rounds more.

3. Whip the cream aside (you can use heavy cream or lactose-free whipping cream) and fold it into the whipped mascarpone mixture..

4. A word about the Pavesini cookies. Some use Savoiardi biscuits/cookies (lady fingers) but I find them too thick and mushy. You can substitute Pavesini with sponge cake cut into layers.

5. Start assembling your tiramisù in a 20cm x 20cm glass dish with a layer of the cream mascarpone mixture. Then dip the Pavesini in the strawberry juice and layer them in the dish. I added some water to thin the juice. I also had used too many of the strawberries for the juice so I didn’t have enough left to garnish the dish.

6. Keep alternating the cream mixture and the cookies for 4 layers leaving one last layer of cream mixture. Place half of the strawberries cut into slices on top with some mint leaves for garnish.

7. Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When it is really hot I place the dish first in the freezer for half an hour or so and then in the fridge.

BUON APPETITO!

December 31, 2018December 16, 2021

Helena’s Italian truffles

These sweet and creamy no-bake mascarpone truffles are my go-to dessert for a special occasion like Christmas or New Year or Valentine’s Day or when I just want a bite size lusciousness to make my day special. One note of advice, make sure you get mascarpone. Don’t substitute with regular cream cheese which is a bit tangier than mascarpone. It would not taste right.