So a few weeks ago, the lovely people from Laura Ashley contacted me to see if I would like to create a recipe to be featured on their blog. I’ve been really busy with exams, college and with lots of other bits and bobs that I haven’t had enough time to blog and share my recipes and tell you this amazing news. Also, a few days ago I finally bit the bullet and decided to buy my own domain, so you will probably notice this blog address is now whatjessicabakednext.com! But now I’ve finished for the whole Summer I will now be able to post a lot more frequently (which I hope is great news for you!). But back to this post, in particular I was asked to develop a recipe that was an English classic. So as I love dessert, cheesecake and Summer, my most favourite dessert sprung straight to mind. Eton Mess is possibly the most quintessentially ‘English’ dessert out there- so I knew it would fit the bill perfectly. Luscious, fresh Summer berries mixed with whipped cream and crumbled meringue. If that doesn’t sound like the most perfect dessert, then I don’t know what does! And as I’m the world’s biggest cheesecake fan, it thought it would be fun to combine my two favourite desserts. This cheesecake tastes amazing, it’s light, summery and very decadent with the fruit and meringue topping. And a definite popular dessert recipe for any occasion. Enjoy guys!
I’ve used my favourite baked cheesecake recipe. I like to use ricotta in the cheesecake mix and I’ve also added some lemon zest and juice to give the cheesecake extra Summer-y flavour. A crumbly, sweet digestive biscuit base is followed by a smooth, creamy layer of lemony ricotta mix and then topped off with a drizzle of fresh raspberry sauce, crumbled meringue and chopped fresh strawberries. This recipe is great for any occasion and it’s sure to be enjoyed by anyone who tries a slice. Also, the ‘traditional’ Eton Mess uses either raspberries or strawberries, but as I LOVE both fruits I decided to combine both into this amazing dessert!
Ingredients-
Base-
250g of digestive biscuits, crushed
100g of unsalted butter, melted
Filling- (Note: have both cream cheeses at room temperature)
600g of full-fat soft cream cheese
250g of Italian ricotta
3 large free-range eggs
Zest from 2 large lemons + juice from 3
200g of caster sugar
Raspberry coulis-
300g of frozen or fresh raspberries
1 heaped tbsp of icing sugar
2 tbsp of each lemon juice and water
(To make coulis- place all ingredients listed in saucepan, boil for 5 minutes, then pass through a sieve into a bowl. Cover and place in fridge for a few hours or overnight to thicken).
To decorate-
Fresh strawberries, sliced- I used approx. 300g of strawberries
Crumbled meringue pieces- use as much as you like
Method-
1. Start by making the base: Crush the biscuits until you have fine crumbs- you can do this in a food processor or in a disposable bag with a rolling pin. Mix the biscuit crumbs into the melted butter. Press down into a 23cm springform cheesecake tin and make sure it’s really well compact. Place in the fridge whilst you make the filling.
2. For the filling: Mix the ricotta, cream cheese lemon zest and juice, eggs and caster until you have a really smooth mixture. Carefully pour the filling on top of the chilled base. Before baking, fill a deep baking dish with boiling water and place at the bottom of your oven. Bake at 140 degrees C Fan for 1 hour 10 minutes. Once baked, the cheesecake should be set around the outside, but should still have a slight wobble in the centre.
3. Then turn off the oven, leave the oven door open a little and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature. Once fully cooled, cover with some tin foil and place in the fridge to finish setting overnight- this is the vital step to stop the cheesecake top from cracking.
To serve: Once the cheesecake has set overnight it will even more well set and will cut a lot easier- I serve the cheesecake with some raspberry coulis. Then top with strawberries and crumbled meringue.
My Top Tips-
- Always fill a baking dish with boiling water and place at the bottom of your preheated oven. This creates a steamy environment in the oven and the cheesecake will bake more evenly.
- Once the cheesecake has cooked for the full amount of time, turn off your oven, leave the cheesecake inside with the door ajar. It will slowly cool down to room temperature and won’t crack on top- never put a warm cheesecake straight in the fridge.
- When decorating, top with the sauce, crumbled meringue and strawberries just before serving. *Note*: the cheesecake can be made in advance and left in the fridge completely covered for 2 days before decorating with the toppings.
Enjoy this recipe everyone, and do pop over the Laura Ashley Blog to find this recipe! I’ve got some amazing recipes lined up for you all, so watch out for those in the coming weeks!
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