7 minute read
A Berry Sweet Treat
February is the perfect time to make a treat for someone sweet! This easy No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake is irresistibly creamy and oh, so pretty in pink, thanks to tasty raspberry jam!
To make this cheesecake even better, we are using Oreos for the crust. And not just the cookie part; we’re using the cream filling too! It’s perfect for binding the crumbs together in the crust.
Generally, a no-bake cheesecake requires a firming agent such as gelatin, to create a firm cheesecake filling. But in this recipe, we are using raspberry jam primarily to add that amazing berry flavor, but also because as a jam, it already includes gelatin! Sweet!
There are 2 other steps you must do to ensure a firm cheesecake filling: 1.Use full fat cream cheese! Not only is it more delicious, but the fat also helps create a firm cheesecake filling. 2.Refrigerate your cheesecake for a minimum of 8 hours. No less! Of course, if time is an issue, you can always freeze your cheesecake for an hour or so, to help it set up.
I hope you love this luscious cheesecake as much as we do! It’s the perfect Valentine’s treat for your sweet!
Raspberry No-Bake Cheesecake
Prep Time : 30 minutes Chill Time : 8 hours Servings: 10
Ingredients
½ package - Oreo Cookies ¼ cup (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted 16 oz full fat cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup whipping cream, chilled ½ cup seedless raspberry jam
Optional garnishes: fresh raspberries, for topping powdered sugar, to dust on top
Directions
Crust
• Using a food processor, blend the Oreo cookies into fine crumbs. • In a separate bowl, combine crumbs with melted butter. Mix well and pour into a 7-inch springform pan (or 4- 4 inch mini springform pans) lined with parchment paper cut to fit the base. • Distribute evenly and tamp the mixture down with the bottom of a juice glass to form the crust. • Refrigerate while preparing the filling, at least 30 minutes.
Filling
• In a bowl, blend cream cheese with a hand mixer until fluffy. Next, add in powdered sugar and vanilla extract; mix until combined. • Add raspberry jam into mixture with hand mixer, until completely combined. Set it aside. • In another bowl, whisk the whipping cream with the hand mixer until soft peaks form. Finally, gently fold the whisked whipping cream to the cream cheese mixture using a spatula. • Pour filling into the prepared pan. Shake the pan gently to release any air bubbles in the filling. Smooth out the top using an offset spatula and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. • To serve, garnish cheesecake with raspberries and/or dust lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.
A Berry Sweet Treat
How To Transfer To A Serving Plate:
• Run a knife all around the cheesecake and remove the springform pan. Insert a knife under the cheesecake and carefully run it all around to detach the cheesecake from the pan’s base. • Using 2 flat spatulas, gently insert a spatula underneath each side of the cheesecake to carefully lift the cheesecake off of the base and onto a serving plate.
Note: Keep the cheesecake in the refrigerator, until just a few minutes before serving. Cut the slices as needed, and return the cheesecake to the refrigerator to remain chilled.
gem A tucked away
BY » Trevor Burton PHOTOGRAPHY BY » Trevor Burton
One of the things that COVID-restricted travel has dumped on us, personally, is that we’ve been unable to make several of our trips to Paris. I love the city, I love the feel of the place. And, of course, it’s a great place to dine. There’s one place we always try and head to, L’Astrance. I say, “try,” because there’s a little persistence and cajoling required but it’s well worth the effort. The last time we were visiting I called about a month ahead and, basically, pleaded for mercy, telling them that we were celebrating our anniversary. It got us in.
L’Astrance is a fabulous experience and I thought you should be in the know.
L’Astrance is a tiny restaurant, very tiny. It has just 25 covers and nothing of the over-indulgent luxury of typical three star places of culinary worship. In fact there are many things about L’Astrance that are curiously dissimilar to its peers and that’s why we’re so fond of it. Very unstuffy but with superb dishes and superb wines.
There are no menus at L’Astrance, it is all a surprise. You have to trust the
An experience you should definitely aim for if you’re ever in the City of Light. A culinary epic with a happy ending.
“Amuse bouche— so simple, yet so amazing
A happy ending — a gift from the chef
Michelin starred chef, Pascal Barbot. You tell them your dislikes and allergies and choose the length of the meal. Then you’re in Barbot’s hands. We opted for the seasonal lunch menu which turned out to be some ten, very small courses. I added the “wine surprise” to my courses. What that consists of is a wine paired with each dish. The wine is named only when you get to discuss it with your server. Kind of like a vinous version of Jeopardy.
Huge kudos to the restaurant. I slipped up by not telling them, as I made the reservation, that my wife, Mary Ellen, and dairy products are not on good terms. I brought up the topic when they inquired about allergies. To their great credit they created an adaption or a replacement dish for every course. All delicious and made on the fly at a moments notice. Very impressive.
I won’t bore you by going through every dish of our lunch, much as I’d like to relive them. Just a couple will give you a feel for the place. The “amuse bouche” was a pair of simple tarts. One of them, the Crème de Parmesan, was like taking a bite of some flavorful fresh air that exploded in your mouth. So simple, yet so amazing.
Our first course was Pascal Barbot’s “Tarte au foie gras, champignons et agrumes.” A crunchy and lightly caramelized pastry base that’s topped with layers of thinly sliced, white button mushrooms. That is sprinkled with citrus zest such as orange and lime. Then comes thin layers of crisp green apple and creamy foie gras. Finally, there’s a top layer of mushrooms sprinkled with some dried porcini powder. On the plate, with the tarte, there’s a large drop of intense lemon confit puree and a drop of concentrated hazelnut oil. A complexity of flavors that all work together. Amazing.
When it came to vinous Jeopardy, I was zero for three on the first three course. Then came the moment. The first red wine rang a definite bell. As I described it to Mary Ellen I recalled the last time we were at L’Astrance I had gone through the same description. This was their “trick wine” that fools almost everyone. So there was a look of genuine surprise when I told our server that the wine was from the Langedoc region and, unusually for that region, was not a blend but was made from 100% Cinsault. A strike for Team America!
The happy ending? We had a nice touch at the finale of the meal. I had mentioned that we were celebrating our anniversary. We were presented with a gift of two egg shells, one lit by a candle and one containing a sort of egg-nog. Delicious.
The whole lunch takes almost three hours. You leave feeling fulfilled but far from stuffed. A simply amazing experience and, yes, it left us yearning to return. If you ever find yourself in Paris, run, don’t walk to L’Astrance. I read that the restaurant is relocating and reopening in 2022, so I won’t include their phone number. Just look it up and call ahead, plead for mercy if you have to. And then enjoy unique and incredible dining. It’s certainly something you’ll be able to talk about when you get back to Lake Norman.
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