Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

I still have more Greek Yogurt left and I thought a cheesecake would be a good idea. I didn't want to make a big one so I bought a mini cheesecake tin and halved the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

This cheesecake tastes really light and the Greek yogurt doesn't make it too sweet. The last one I made was delicious but the cream cheese taste was a bit too strong for me. This is much better.

Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake
adapted from TOTAL Greek Yogurt

Ingredients

250g TOTAL Greek Yogurt
150g chocolate chip cookies
50g sugar
40g melted butter
250g full fat cream cheese
2 gelatine leaves
75g double cream
1 tsp vanilla

1. Crush the chocolate chip cookies in a food processor.

Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

2. Add the melted butter and press three quarters of the mixture into the bottom of the cheesecake pan.

Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

3. Whisk together the cream cheese and the sugar until creamy.

4. Soak the gelatine leaves in 50 ml of water. Once soft warm the water until the leaves dissolve (I zapped in the microwave for 20 seconds).

5. Whip the double cream and vanilla in a small bowl until soft peaks form.
Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

6. Fold in the TOTAL Greek Yogurt into the cream cheese, add the gelatine, then the whipped cream. 

 Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

7. Pour the mixture into the base and sprinkle the rest of the cookie crumbs on top (there were a few scoops that's didn't fit in my tin. I didn't want the cheesecake to be too thick).

Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

8. Chill for 8 hours to allow to set. To serve remove the ring and slice. I ran a knife around the edges before I removed the ring.

· cheesecake, cookies, yogurt

Prêt-à-Portea at The Berkeley


I have really great friends. They took me to the designer tea at The Berkeley hotel in Knightsbridge as part of my Hen/Bachlorette weekend. I love the tea here because each piece is creative and really cute and they also keep bringing out more until you tell them to stop!

The cakes are in the colors of the fashion season and inspired by the world's finest designers!

The menu, the dresses that inspired the treats and the cute little name tag on our table.

Everything is served on Paul Smith china. I love the stripes.

They had about 10 or more different kinds of tea. I'm partial to flavored black tea so I chose Pear and Carmel. My friends chose a white Peony, African Amber and Green Tea.

A selection of tea sandwiches

A selection of savory options: skewers and taster spoons. The crab cone on the left was excellent and the shot glass is filled with a watermelon and basil soup. It was different!

Christopher Kane pale pink almond macaron filled with white chocolate and elderflower ganache, topped with a pink checkerboard.

Belted Jason Wu poppy seed cocktail dress biscuit embellished with ruffled purple icing.

Season's must have Chanel clog biscuit adored with chocolate brown studs and white leather glaze.

Jean Paul Gaultier fluorescent cheese cake on almond and oat base accessorized with a bright yellow sugar twirl.

Anya Hindarch light apricot summer 'Halen' bag, wrapped in almond marzipan with playful bow.

Erdem dark silky chocolate cake filled with passion fruit and delicate lace.

Paul Smith orange, papaya and pink lavender bavarois topped with chocolate bowler hat.

Yves Saint Lauret soft romantic white mousse and raspberry custard finished with a crunchy meringue scattered with mini strawberries.

Sonia Rykiel nautical vanilla and raspberry jam layered mousse topped with humorous yellow hat.

I had such a great time and this tea is so fun. You can keep going back because the cakes change with the fashion season! You can see from all these lonely hats how much I ate.

They also give you a small take away box!

· cake, cheesecake, chocolate, cookies, macarons, yummy places

Passion Fruit Cheesecake


I decided that my friends 4th of July BBQ needed not just a layer cake but also a cheesecake. This is the first time I've made one and I was pretty impressed. It came out looking really pretty! It tasted very rich and fruity. I thought the cream cheese was a little strong. I might make a mascarpone version or a baked version to compare the flavor.

I found this recipe from The Daily Mail. I've also never used gelatin before so I thought it would be interesting to try it.

Chilled Passion fruit Cheesecake with Strawberries
adapted from The Daily Mail

Base
180g shortbread biscuits (I used a bit more)
30g unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake
6 leaves gelatin
600g cream cheese (I used full fat)
200ml whipping cream
200g caster sugar
2 tbs lemon juice

Passion fruit Glaze
4 Passion fruit
1 leaf gelatin
15g caster sugar
Strawberries for decoration


1.  Have a loose bottomed cake tin ready. In a food processor whizz the biscuits to crumbs and add the melted butter and whizz again.

This tiny food processor was a good investment!

Press the crumb mixture into the cake tin (I used a spatula).


2. To make the cheesecake, cut the gelatin leaves into strips. Place these strips in a small bowl and cover with water and soak for 5 minutes. Pour over 3 tablespoons of boiling water and stir to dissolve.

The gelatin feels like plastic. If you're veggie make sure to check the pack

3. Gently heat the cream cheese, cream, sugar and lemon juice in a medium pot. Stir until the cream cheese liquefies, then whisk until smooth. The mixture should be warm but not boil. Take off the heat and stir in the gelatin. Carefully pour over the biscuit base. Cover and place in the fridge for several hours until set.


4. To make the passion fruit glaze scoop out the passion fruit into a small bowl. Soak, drain and dissolve the gelatin in a separate bowl the same as before (just 1 sheet this time) and add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir the passion fruit pulp a tablespoon at a time into the gelatin mixture. There should be about 150ml of mixture.


I put a small amount of water in mine but it leaked out a little bit so make sure your latch is secure. Pour the mixture over the cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

5. When you're ready to serve run a knife around the sides and then unlatch. Decorate with strawberries.

· cake, cheesecake, fruit

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