It is definite that to make a perfect cheesecake you’ll need two things. Cream cheese (doh!) and a springform tin. But it just so happens that neither are within my reach. Cream cheese is nowhere to be found in this place. I don’t know what it is with the shortage of cheese products around here (if you remembered my last post, I also couldn’t get my hands on fresh mozarella), but really, it’s getting ridiculous. So I began the quest to look for substitutes for cream cheese months ago and finally stumbled upon a recipe that said you can use Yoghurt Cheese (or as my fellow Al-Khorians know it, Labneh). The difference between taste and texture is, as you would’ve probably guessed, negligible. There’s a lightness and slight tang when using Labneh that’s pleasant compared to the dense and richness of cream cheese. I used 5% Fat yoghurt to make the Labneh so the calorie decrease is definitely a plus. On the whole, the cheesecake turned out much better than I would’ve expected because instead of a springform pan I just lined my pie tin with tinfoil (leaving tags on the sides to pull out) and it didn’t stick at all. The cheesecake sets perfectly without cracking. I used blueberry jam for the swirl and some strawberries, but feel free to substitute any berries you like. For the base I used coconut biscuits because I’m just bored of using crackers; it was definitely a good pairing. Also made some strawberry sauce to serve it with.

Here’s a link on how to make Labneh for those who might get curious and try to make it: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Labneh-Cheese

Berry Swirl Cheesecake:

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius.

1. Base:

[ 200g graham crackers (or any other crackers) + 115g unsalted butter + 30g sugar + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ]

- Whizz biscuits in food processor or place them in a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin to a fine crumb. Melt the butter and mix well with the biscuit crumbs, sugar and vanilla.

Spread the mixture evenly on the lined baking tin and press it down firmly. Chill in freezer

2. Filling:

[ 450g yoghurt cheese + 180g sugar + 2 eggs + 100ml heavy cream + 3 tablespoon flour + 1 tablespoon vanilla extract + 1 teaspoon salt + 1 tablespoon lemon juice + a handful of strawberries,halved + 2 tablespoon blueberry jam]

*One thing to remember about making cheesecake is that the ingredients must be at room temperature. This will prevent the top of the cake from cracking.

Whisk the yoghurt cheese and sugar until light and creamy. Add in the eggs one at a time, making sure that each egg is fully incorporated before adding another one. Add in the flour, vanilla, salt and lemon juice. Set aside.

Assembly:

Get the base and scatter the strawberry halves on top.

Pour in the cheesecake mixture. Put dollops of jam on top and using a toothpick or a knife, swirl it into the cheesecake mixture to marble the top.

Tap the tin to remove air bubbles and bake at 190 degrees celsius for 30 minutes. The cheesecake should be firm but still has a jiggle in the middle when you shake it. This is fine.

Turn off the oven and let the cake sit inside for another half hour.Take it out and let it cool on the counter or inside the fridge for another 2 hours. When it has set, make some strawberry sauce and serve!

Strawberry sauce:

[ A handful of strawberries + 2 tablespoon of water + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1 tablespooon lemon juice ]

Puree the strawberries and heat on the stove. Add the sugar and lemon juice and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Enjoy!