Hello lovelies,
If you’ve followed me throughout this year, you’ll have seen I’m really in my ‘cheesecake era’.
I’ve posted my fair share of different cheesecakes this year so it’s only right to post ONE more cheesecake recipe before the year is out… right?
And what better type of cheesecake to make then a festive one? Let me tell you guys, this had the festive feels running through my veins. Honestly, these are the ultimate Christmas cheesecakes! An absolute must try this year.
Cheesecakes are a made and well loved desert during the festive period, wether that be for family/friends gatherings, on christmas night after demolishing a big fat roast or just to be enjoyed on a cold winters night – whatever/whenever YOUR making these cheesecakes for, they are guaranteed to go down a treat with everyone whose lucky enough to get a bite.
These cheesecakes have a gingernut biscuit base, a vanilla cheesecake filling, a black forest berry compote and are topped with a gingerbread man (or women ofc) – it doesn’t get much more christmassy than that!
So, if these cheesecakes have caught your eye and got your stomach gargling, you know the drill. Keep on scrolling below and you’ll find my festive cheesecake recipe:
Category: Desert / Sweet Treat
Serves: 6
Overall Time: 1+ Hour
Ingredients You Need To Make The Cheesecake Base:
- 300g Of Gingernut Biscuits
- 135g Of Willow Butter, Melted
Ingredients You Need To Make The Cheesecake Filling:
- 500g Of Full-Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 75g Of Icing Sugar
- 2tsp Of Vanilla Paste / Extract
- 300ml Of Double Cream
Ingredients You Need To Make The Berry Compote:
- 500g Of Frozen Black Forest Fruit
- 60ml Of Cranberry Juice
- 2tbsp Of Granulated Sugar
- 1/2tsp Of Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4tsp Of Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4tsp Of Ground Ginger
- Zest & Juice Of One Orange
- 1-2tbsp Of Cornflour
Ingredients You Need To Decorate:
- 1 Pack Of Gingerbread Men
How To Make The Cheesecake Base:
- Firstly, gather together all your equipment and ingredients and prepare the 6 tumblers.
- Secondly, add the 300g of gingernut biscuits into a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs.
- Whilst continuing to pulse the processor, pour in the 135g of melted butter until combined and the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Spoon 4-5 large tablespoons of the crumbs into the base of each tumbler.
- Now, place into the fridge.
How To Make The Cheesecake Filling:
- In a large bowl, using a spatula, carefully fold together the 500g of philadelphia cream cheese with 75g of icing sugar and 2tsp of vanilla paste / extract until smooth.
- Next, in a separate large bowl, using an electric whisk, whisk the 300ml of double cream until stiff peaks form.
- Using the same spatula, carefully fold the double cream into the cream cheese mixture (at this point it should be relatively thick).
- Transfer the cheesecake filling into a large piping bag.
- Remove the 6 tumblers with the cheesecake crumb out the fridge.
- Cut the end of the piping bag off and pipe a generous layer of cheesecake filling on top of the gingernut crumb.
- Place the tumblers back into the fridge.
How To Make The Berry Compote:
- In a large saucepan, over a medium-low heat, add the 500g of frozen black forest fruits, 60ml of cranberry juice, 2tbsp of granulated sugar, 1/2tsp of ground cinnamon, 1/4tsp of ground nutmeg, 1/4tsp of ground ginger, juice and zest of one orange.
- Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook the berries until the juices from the fruit begin to release and soften (this should take around 5-10 minutes).
- Once the juices have began to release, using a tablespoon, spoon out a few tbsp of the juice into a bowl, add 1tbsp of cornflour to the juice and mix together to form a slurry, making sure there are no clumps of cornflour in the slurry mixture.
- Return the cornflour slurry to the berry filling in the saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, on a medium-high heat until the mixture comes to the boil.
- Once at boiling point, cook the mixture for about 1 minute, whilst continuously stirring.
- TIP: the cornflour will only reach its fully thickened potential if the mixture reaches boiling point and stays at boiling point for a minute or two.
- Now that the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and set to one side until it reaches room temperature.
- When it’s at room temperature, remove the tumblers from the fridge and using a teaspoon, divide the berry compote between the 6 cheesecakes.
- Return the cheesecakes back to the fridge and allow to chill / set overnight.
- Finally, in the morning, push a gingerbread men into the top of each cheesecake.
That’s your Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes With A Berry Compote prepared, chilled and decorated, ready for you to enjoy this Christmas!
Notes:
- If your wanting to add a splash of the old booze to these cheesecakes to give them that little extra flare, then you can replace the cranberry juice that’s used within the black forest berry compote with 60ml of mulled wine.
- If you don’t have a food processor to make the cheesecake base, you can add the biscuits into a sandwich bag, tighten and bash the biscuits into a crumb with a rolling pin. Then, transfer the crumbs to a bowl and mix with the melted butter.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, these are an absolute must try this festive season! It’ll get you in the spirit after one bite, I can guarantee that.
70% of the cheesecakes I’ve shared this year have been baked, therefore, I thought it would be a nice change to make a no-baked one to round the cheesecake baking year off.
I’ve got to admit guys, I have absolutely loved making all the different types of cheesecakes that I have this year and I really hope you’ve loved seeing & possibly even making them too. I’ve certainly become a cheesecake girlie!
Let me know in the comments below if you make these mini cheesecakes yourself and if you do, what your thoughts are on them. Are you a festive cheesecake lover? Did/would you use cranberry juice or mulled wine to make your compote?
Sending you all tons of love & hugs as always,
Elle xo
