White Chocolate and Gingerbread Cheesecake
This no-bake wonder is the perfect festive dessert to make ahead of time as it can simply chill in the fridge right up until dessert rolls around - simply add the decorations shortly before serving. With a base of warming, buttery ginger biscuits topped with a creamy ginger and white chocolate filling, all that’s left to do is decorate with gingerbread men and slice.
Credited to: Becky Excell
Kcal:
Difficulty: More of a challenge
Serves 8
330 mins prep
Ingredients
For the base
- 320g gluten free ginger biscuits*
- 150g butter, melted
For the filling
- 500g mascarpone
- 100g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 300ml double cream
- 250g white chocolate, melted and just cooled*
To decorate
- 100ml double cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 50g white chocolate, grated
- 8 mini gluten free gingerbread men *
- 50g gluten free ginger biscuits, crushed *
Notes: * Check Coeliac UK's Food and Drink Information for suitable products
Method
- Start by preparing the base. Using a food processor, blitz the biscuits until they reach a crumb-like texture – take care not to over process them into a fine powder. Alternatively, pop the biscuits into a zip-lock bag and bash them with a rolling pin. Add to a large bowl and pour in the melted butter, then mix well
- Spoon the mixture into a round 20cm (8in) loose bottomed or springform cake tin/pan. Compact it into the base in an even layer, then chill in the fridge while you make the filling
- I use a stand mixer to make the filling, but you can easily do this using an electric hand whisk. Doing it by hand is achievable, but in that case, it’s vital that you whisk long enough - as you’re far more likely to undermix by hand
- Place the mascarpone, icing sugar and ground ginger into the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix on a low to medium speed for 10–20 seconds, then add the cream. On a medium speed, mix for 2 more minutes or until it begins to firm up. Pour in the melted white chocolate and briefly mix until combined. Do not overmix, as the mixture can split. It should end up as a nice, thick, spoon-able consistency, not a pourable one
- Spread the filling evenly on top of the chilled biscuit base and place into the fridge to chill for at least 5 hours, but ideally overnight
- When ready to serve, whip the cream and icing sugar together in a large mixing bowl until stiff – an electric mixer is best here. Transfer to a piping bag with an open star nozzle
- Carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. Pipe 8 blobs of whipped cream all around the edge of the cheesecake. Sprinkle over the grated white chocolate and top each blob of cream with a mini gingerbread man. Sprinkle the remaining crushed ginger biscuits in the middle of the cheesecake and serve.
Hints and tips:
Once chilled and set (but before piping on fresh cream), slice or leave whole, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
