No-bake cherry cheesecake

This cherry cheesecake is a truly delightful no-bake dessert, light, creamy, and melt-in-the-mouth. It sits on a delicious chocolate sandwich cookies base and is finished with a smooth chocolate ganache topping. You can use sour cherries, black cherries, or a mix. It’s an easy, summery dessert that’s bound to become a regular on your table once you’ve tried it :).

Ingredients for the base:

• 180 g chocolate sandwich cookies with chocolate filling (in the UK: bourbon biscuits; Oreos or similar will also work)
• 10 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 20 g butter, melted

Place the cookies, butter, and chocolate in a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles wet sand. Alternatively, place the cookies in a sturdy bag and crush them with a rolling pin, then mix with the melted butter and chocolate.

Line a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper. Press the cookies mixture firmly into the base and level it out. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 500 g full-fat or medium-fat cream cheese (or well-ground curd cheese)
• 150 g icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or 8 g vanilla sugar
• 15 g powdered gelatine + 100 ml cold water
• 150 g natural or Greek yoghurt
• 300 ml double cream (36%), chilled
• 500 g cherries, pitted

All ingredients (except the double cream) should be at room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Sprinkle the gelatine over 100 ml of cold water, stir, and leave to bloom for 10 minutes. Then gently heat (either in a saucepan or microwave), stirring until fully dissolved—do not boil. Leave to cool slightly. Mix the dissolved gelatine thoroughly with the yoghurt (ensuring there are no lumps), then add to the cheese mixture and mix well. If the mixture seems too runny, chill briefly in the fridge, checking frequently so it doesn’t set too much. Whip the double cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold it into the cheesecake mixture. Add the cherries and fold in carefully.

Pour the filling over the chilled base, smooth the top, and refrigerate until set.

Ingredients for the chocolate ganache:

• 60 ml double cream
• 60 g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate, and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy. Pour the ganache over the set cheesecake, spread evenly, and return to the fridge until the topping is firm.

Keep refrigerated until serving.

Enjoy!