Chocolate Easter Egg Cheesecakes

This is a fun way to present a lemon vanilla cheesecake at Easter time. I have left out the traditional biscuit base, but you could always add that in if you wanted to, and add a layer of it in the bottom of the Easter egg.

I have made this filling dairy free but I will add both versions below so you have a choice. For my son's (the dairy free version) I also made  the chocolate egg as well using a mold I had at home anyway. I melted dairy free chocolate and  built up layers of the melted chocolate, chilling between layers. This recipe is so easily made dairy free and it tastes delicious!

Chocolate Easter Egg Cheesecakes

Serves 3 medium sized half-eggs (double the recipe for more)

Ingredients:

• 170g cream cheese (or dairy free version)
• 100ml double cream (or Elmlea plant double cream)
• 40g icing sugar, sifted
• 1t vanilla
• juice of 1/4 lemon
• 3 x half easter eggs
• decorations - such as marshmallows, mini eggs, mini creme eggs, sprinkles - whatever you have or would like to use.

Method:

1. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, lemon and vanilla in a bowl, whisking until it is smooth and well combined.
2. In a different bowl, whip the cream until it is thick with soft peaks and then fold it carefully into the cream cheese mixture until it is fully combined (you can whisk it briefly too).
3. Spoon into the chocolate Easter eggs, decorate and set in the fridge for 2-3 hours but preferably overnight.

 

Passionfruit 'Cheesecake' - without the cheese!

Let me start by saying this is absolutely delicious! Truly. It is made up of some of my favourite flavours, lemon and passionfruit. And to top it off, there's no cooking involved!!

This dish is one I have always loved and the recipe came to me again this week via facebook. I don't think it is 'owned' by anyone, but it's a popular Australian dessert. Passionfruit itself is one of the most popular flavours in Australia, so much so that you can even buy it tinned. That is what I used for this as passionfruit are not in season right now here in the UK. I have a dwindling stash of the tins, and I use them sparingly. Well worth it for this though!

So I had to play around with this a little as the recipe I originally had was a little ambiguous about the gelatine, but with some brilliant advise from the Aussie mum of a friend (thanks Sandra!!), it turned out perfectly this time. You just won't believe how easy it was!!

By the way, the original recipe was a tray bake, with the base made of plain biscuits laid out covering the bottom of the pan. In Aus, use scotch fingers, in the UK I used malted milk biscuits. Any plain biscuit can be used. This time, however, I wanted to make it like a cheesecake to serve at a friend's house, so I crushed the biscuits and mixed with melted butter to make a more traditional base that would go into a round tin.

The second time round I made it smaller - normal sized, and had a bit of spare everythign to make these little glasses of pudding - 4 of them.

Anyway here is the recipe.....

Passionfruit Slice/'Cheesecake'

Serves 12-16

Ingredients:

1 x 250g packet of plain biscuits

1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c (125ml) lemon juice

2 teaspoons gelatine dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of  boiling water

300ml double cream

2-3 fresh passionfruit (they are best eaten when the outside is wrinkled) or 1/2 tin of passionfruit pulp

100g melted butter (if you are making the traditional crushed biscuit base)

Method:

1. Line a baking tray or springform pan with baking paper. If using a square/rectangular tray, lay the biscuits out to cover the bottom of the tray.

2. If using the round springform pan, blitz the biscuits in a food processor until finely crumbed. Add melted butter and mix to a wet sand consistency. Press firmly into the base of the pan and smooth over to make it even. Place in the fridge for 30 mins.

3. Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatine over the boiled water and mix until dissolved. If it is looking thick, add a little more water.

4. Whip the cream until very soft peaks form. Add in the rest of the ingredients (lemon, condensed milk, gelatine) and whip a few more times to combine. Mix gently, you need to make sure it is well combined but not too thick.

5. Spread the mixture over the base and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Spoon the passionfruit pulp on top and refrigerate until set, preferably over night.

Note: I doubled the ingredients to make the cake/slice in these pictures. It's tastes just as good with the quantities, but not as high.

Trust me, this is soooooo good!