Recipe: Creamy Ricotta Cheesecake with a Strawberry Basil and Balsamic Compote

This cheesecake is so creamy and delicious. I really fancied making one this week. I didn't want the fuss of baking a cheesecake, so this recipe was the ideal solution. Simply no fuss: no bake! I know the flavours of the compote may seem a little strange when read over the ingredients, but trust me they work! I used the combination on MasterChef and no one complained! Have a go. I hope you like it.

Ingredients

Crust

12 digestive biscuits, crushed

60g blanched hazelnuts (these aren’t necessary I just like a nutty base - crush these too)

70g unsalted butter

3 tbsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

Pinch of ground ginger

¼ tsp cinnamon

Filling

450g ricotta cheese (at room temperature)

225g cream cheese (at room temperature)

4 tbsp maple syrup

½ tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Compote

400g strawberries (after they have been hulled and quartered)

4 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp chopped basil

2 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest

½ tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Start with the crust. melt the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

2. Grab yourself a medium sized bowl and mix the digestives, nuts if you’re using them, salt, ginger and cinnamon together.

3. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch diameter tart tin. Take your time with this! Cover and chill in the fridge for one hour.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat the ricotta, cream cheese, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon until smooth. Spread the mixture into the crust using a spatula to smooth the top. Cover it then stick in the fridge for about 2 hours or until the filling is set.

5. Pop the strawberries, sugar, basil, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar in a pan and heat slowly on a medium heat and reduce the mixture until you get a nice sticky consistency. You can decide how runny you want it. Take it off the heat and add the zest. You can even grind in some black pepper for a kick! (This compote can be used on pancakes or ice-cream too.) Leave to cool.

6. You don’t have to put the strawberries on top of the cheesecake if you don’t want to. Alernatively serve the strawberries on the side or let people help themselves.

7. Now, tuck in!

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