Mini No-Bake Vanilla Cheesecakes

Equipment

• Saucepan
• Fork
• Spatula
• Fine Sieve - for the Strawberry Coulis
• Large Bowl
• Cupcake/Muffin Tin and Liners
• Glass Bowl or Glass Jug
• Food Processor or Sandwich Bag and Rolling Pin
• Drinking Glass - optional, to help press the biscuit base down!
• Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
• Piping Bag with Round Tip (optional, to neatly add the cheesecake mix to the cases) or spoon

Ingredients

• For the Strawberry Coulis and Decoration
• 175g Strawberries + 6 Strawberries for Decoration
• 25g Caster Sugar
• For the Biscuit Base
• 150g Digestive Biscuits
• 60g Unsalted Butter
• For the Cheesecake
• 300g Full Fat Cream Cheese - Room temperature (such as Philadelphia)
• 50g Icing Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 125ml Double Cream

Method

• For the Strawberry Coulis

1. Remove the leaves and chop the strawberries into quarters. Add the strawberries in to a saucepan along with the sugar and gently heat on a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and mash the strawberries with a fork. Keep stirring until the sauce has become thick and saucy!
2. Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve in to a glass bowl or jug. Discard of the bits that don't pass through the sieve! Refrigerate your strawberry coulis until you're ready to use it!

• For the Biscuit Base

1. Line a cupcake/muffin tin with cases.
2. Crush the digestive biscuits in a sandwhich bag with a rolling pin, or blitz in a food processor, then place in to a large bowl. Melt the buttr in the microwave in 10 second bursts until smooth. Add the butter to the digestives and stir until combined and the butter is fully absorbed.
3. Divide the mixture evenly in to the cupcake/muffin cases, and press down until the mixture is firmly packed. - (I find that using the bottom of a drinking glass helps pack the mixture tightly!
4. Refrigerate for an hour and leave in the fride until the cheesecake mix is ready to add.

• For the Cheesecake

1. Add your room temperature cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla to a large bowl and whisk using a hand or stand mixer until smooth and the ingredients are fully combined (this should take no more than 15-30 seconds!).
2. Add the double cream and whisk on a medium speed until the mixture has thickened (this should take roughly 30 seconds - 1 minute). Test the thickness by using a spatula to scoop some mixture, then hold the spatula horizontally - if it falls off, it's likely too runny still!
Once whisked, add the cheesecake mixture to a piping bag with a round tip attached and pipe in to the cases, on top of the biscuit base, or just spoon directly on top!
3. Leave to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours, but for best results leave in the fridge overnight.

• For Decoration

1. Once your cheesecakes have set remove them from the fridge. You can either remove the mini cheesecakes from the paper liners, or serve them in their cases (the latter has proven to be a bit neater!)
2. Now to decorate! - Add a teaspoon of strawberry coulis on top of each mini cheesecake, and a full strawberry. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• - Store your Mini No-Bake Vanilla Cheesecakes in an airtight container in the fridge, and consume within 3 days!
• - The decoration is optional, I just think it adds a nice pop of colour! You can decorate with anything you like (such as salted caramel, mixed berries, chocolate sauce, a dusting of icing sugar, etc), ...or you can leave your mini cheesecakes plain!