Each summer when our grandkids are visiting, we make a festive dessert. Oh, there’s always lots of chopping, cooking, and baking going on during that week, but we like to create one special sweet treat. This year we made a no-bake raspberry cheesecake for the 4th of July. Well . . . we baked the crust, but that’s all. We intended to add some blueberries to make it red, white, and blue, but we forgot. (It gets a little crazy around here with so many people in the kitchen.)
There are three steps to this dessert: topping, crust, and filling. It really won’t take that long, and if my grandkids can make this without whining, you can too!
Of course, I winged it and didn’t write down exact measurements. We were in a hurry (great-grandma was coming to visit) and slam-dunked it. You probably wouldn’t appreciate it if I just guessed my way through the recipe, so now that the kids have gone back to California (sob) it was carefully re-created and documented . . . and it turned out beautifully. I added lemon zest to the cheesecake the second time around and loved the subtle flavor.
And I even cleaned up as I went! Mark that down on your calendar, because it will probably never happen again. Who knows what possessed me – but it’s awfully nice to sit here working on this blog without seeing a mess out of the corner of my eye. I understand that some people actually do this regularly. Huh. Go figure.
Do you know what I really, really miss? Raspberry ripple ice cream. Just can’t find it anywhere. This immediately reminded me of that childhood treat . . . sweet nostalgia!
If you don’t have a springform pan, you can always make a couple of deep dish pies instead, using the same steps.
| No Bake Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake | Print |
- BERRY TOPPING:
- 18 ounces fresh raspberries (about 3 cups, plus a few for decorating)
- ¾ cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- CRUST:
- 2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 1½ sleeves)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- FILLING:
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 ounces white chocolate (chips or candy melts are fine)
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- zest from 2 lemons
- 1 8-ounce tub of whipped topping, thawed
- Heat oven to 325 F. Lightly butter the sides of a 9-inch springform pan and place a round of parchment on the bottom.
- In a small dish, combine the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir well and set aside.
- If desired, remove and refrigerate 9 of the nicest berries to use later for decorating. In a medium pan on medium heat, bring the remaining berries, sugar, and salt to a boil. Cook at a low boil for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the pan. Cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into the prepared pan evenly, going halfway up the sides of the pan. (A straight-sided measuring cup works well for pressing crust up the sides.)
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool.
- In a small pan on very low heat (or in a microwave at 15-second intervals) combine the cream and white chocolate, stirring until chocolate is melted. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat well.
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon zest, and white chocolate mixture. Beat well.
- By hand, stir in the whipped topping, just until incorporated.
- Put half of the filling in the pie crust, spreading it to the sides. Don't smooth it; hills and valleys will make the raspberry swirl look prettier.
- Check the raspberry mixture. Warm is fine, but if it's still hot, place the pan in a larger pan of cold water and stir. Drizzle ⅓ cup of the raspberry mixture over the filling in the pan. Cover with remaining filling and swirl gently, avoiding the crust.
- Smooth the top, making it as level as possible. Pour the remaining raspberry topping over the cheesecake, cover with foil, and chill overnight.
- If desired, decorate with whipped cream rosettes and the reserved raspberries.
Add sugar and a pinch of salt to rinsed raspberries and boil gently for 3 minutes
Combine cornstarch, lemon juice, and water
Add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling berries. Stir until thickened.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.
Press into prepared pan and bake
Melt together the cream and white chocolate. Let it cool a little.
Add powdered sugar to whipped cream cheese
Add lemon and melted chocolate to the mixture
Stir in the whipped topping
Add half of the filling (don’t level it . . . leave it “gloppy”) and drizzle with 1/3 cup berry mixture
Cover with remaining filling
Swirl gently. (You don’t want to disturb that crust!)
Level the top (a small offset spatula works well) all the way to the edge. Add remaining berry mixture and smooth with a clean spatula.
Decorate with whipped cream and raspberries, or let it go au naturel.
It doesn’t really NEED adornment. I like mine straight.
In case you’re wondering, this is delicious when frozen, too! Trust me, I know. And it’s easier to cut and serve. Just take it from the freezer and let it sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting.
Lorinda