This is a special refreshingly tangy cheesecake that feels amazingly light on the stomach.  Apparently goats cheese is good for you and pretty digestible!  In this easy no-bake cheesecake it’s combined with drained unsweetened greek-style yoghurt and some mascarpone, both of which can be substituted with whipped cream, making it a little sweeter though not quite as healthy.  The filling’s sweetened with very little birch xylitol (sugarfree substitute), which you can replace with icing sugar.  The freshly-squeezed lime juice and zest add to the creamy filling’s wonderful flavour, contrasting delightfully with the crumbly base of crushed Lotus biscuits with melted semi-salted butter.  I love the taste of Lotus biscuits but there are equally yummy alternatives, including speculaas, digestives or glutenfree and sugarfree biscuits.  The redcurrants are optional but provide that great pop of colour and bites of sharp juicy freshness.

Summer is always a bit too hot to bake here in Barcelona and my travelling has been somewhat restricted (no popping over to the UK to visit the family, sob) but this cheesecake was great company – all three prototypes!  Yum.  Not too sweet, with wonderful flavours and textures, it’s the perfect dessert and my favourite ever cheesecake!  I’m always saying you must try the latest experiment but this time I’m extra keen on sharing this recipe with you and emphasizing you should really really try this easy no-bake lime goats cheesecake!! 😉

THE RECIPE – for a 16cm/6in medium-sized cheesecake

This recipe is adapted from a Saveurs French online recipe here.  I’ve made my cheesecake slightly healthier than the original, with greek yoghurt, and also I don’t freeze it to set.  Allowing the cheesecake to set overnight in the fridge seems to work better for me and helps avoid separation and weeping.

The three prototypes were all great though and it’s a pretty easy-going dessert.  Even the second prototype that froze longer and wept a bit, was absolutely delicious.  And it also works if you whisk everything together for the filling, with no delicate folding (did that once by mistake, I blame it on the heat).

You might want to be more careful than me and not peel zest off the lime before slicing to decorate – oops.  But taste-wise it’s all good, so no worries.

For the earlier prototypes I smoothed the sides with a small offset pallet knife.  You can also leave the sides rougher, as in the latest ‘rustic’ cheesecake below.

Timings

• DAY ONE  Morning:  drain yoghurt 4 to 7 hours in fridge; prepare crust and chill in fridge (10 mins work + 2 or more hours chilling);  Afternoon:  make filling and pour on crust (20 mins work);  chill in fridge (overnight).
• DAY TWO  Unmould, decorate (10 mins work) and serve.

Equipment

• 16cm/6in diametre and 4.5cm/1.8in high springform tin or cake ring

Ingredients

• 100g/3.5oz Lotus biscuits (12 and 3/4 biscuits) or digestives, speculaas, etc.
• 40g/just under 3 tbsp semi-salted butter (French-style like le Président), or unsalted butter with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp fine sea salt added
• 150g/1/2 cup drained yoghurt obtained from 220g/3/4 cups unsweetened natural greek-style yoghurt (or replace with 150g/ml liquid whipping cream)
• 250g/8.8oz/1 good cup soft goats cheese, at room temperature (rindless creamy style)
• 30g/7 and 1/2 tsp ground birch xylitol sugar substitute (or icing/powdered sugar), to taste (you can make it sweeter)
• 125g/4.4oz/good 1/2 cup mascarpone, at room temperature (or replace with 125g/ml liquid whipping cream)
• Finely-grated zest from 1 and 1/2 lime (or about 1 teaspoon)
• 40g/ml freshly-squeezed lime juice (from about 1 and 1/2 limes), to taste

Here’s the printable illustrated recipe (click on image):

DAY ONE

Preparation

Morning

• Drain unsweetened natural greek-style yoghurt in sieve over a bowl, in fridge 4 to 7 hours to obtain stiffer cream-like yoghurt in sieve (and lots of liquid in bowl below).
• Prepare tin or cake ring. You can cover bottom with baking paper or foil and line sides with acetate strip or line mould with plastic film (or lightly grease the sides of the tin with butter).
• Crush Lotus biscuits to reasonably fine crumbs (in mixer or in a bag, smashing with a rolling pin). It’s fine to have a few slightly bigger crumbs.  Mix well with melted butter and spread evenly over base of tin with back of metal tablespoon.
• Refrigerate 2 or more hours.

Afternoon

Note:  if using whipping cream to replace mascarpone and/or greek yoghurt first whisk cream to soft stiff peak and fold in as delicately as possible (with figure of eight movements) for step 3 below.

1. In a large bowl, whisk room temperature goats cheese and mascarpone together until creamy.
2. Whisk in xylitol or sugar and lime zest plus juice.
3. Finally fold in greek yoghurt (or whipped cream) with rubber spatula, using whisk to slowly stir and help combine the mixture if needed.  Don’t overwork.
4. Carefully pour over biscuit base and smooth with back of metal spoon or small offset spatula.
5. Refrigerate cheesecake to set overnight in airtight tupperware.

DAY TWO

Unmould.  Smooth sides with offset palette knife or butter knife if desired.  Decorate with redcurrants, thin lime slices and zest.  You could also sprinkle finely grated zest on top.

EATING AND STORING

Store in fridge (in airtight tupperware) and eat within 3 days.  You can freeze slices (they won’t be quite as good texture-wise but still fine and amazingly tasty):  store in airtight tupperware then defrost in fridge half a day – I like them to still be a little cold and frozen (so they don’t get a chance to separate or weep).

I love this lime goats cheesecake. Hope you’ll try some too. 🙂

Yum yum.  Sooo easy.  Sooo good.

Bye for now dears!  Wishing you a safe and yummy start to the new season, autumn here, with lots of happy no baking, baking and eating! 🙂 Lili x