Baked cheesecakes are not usually my thing. Most of the time I find them heavy and cloying.

I prefer the lighter no-bake varieties, such as mum’s mon-chou tart topped with tinned cherries thickened with gelatine. Yeah, I know. That was the 70s and that’s probably considered very dated by now. But guess what: I’ll still post her recipe one day regardless, as it’s simply delicious. Her quark torte with strawberries comes a close second.

This baked cheesecake is unusually light though. It uses mascarpone lightened with yoghurt. It is sweetened with honey and (optionally) flavoured with rum-soaked raisins and orange zest. It’s lovely with some blueberries or raspberries bursting inside as well.

The crust is very simple: crush any biscuit you like and stir through some melted butter. I like chocolate chip oaty hobnobs, but you can use oreos, ginger nuts, Amaretti or a plain digestive. I’m personally not overly enamoured with a graham cracker crust, but hey, go for it if that’s your thing.

This light cheesecake is easy to make in advance, as it keeps at least a day or 2 in the fridge.

Serve plain, with summer fruits or caramelized oranges as I did this time. Caramelized oranges work particularly well if you use a choc-chip biscuit base. I’ve used the strained rum from the raisins in the caramel for the oranges. Yum.

THE RECIPES

Baked Honey Yoghurt Cheesecake with Rum Raisins (serves 5-6 V)
Ingredients

250 gr biscuits, crushed (I put mine in a large ziplock bag and bash them to death with a rolling pin. Else use a food processor)

75 gr butter, melted

500 gr mascarpone or 250 ml mascarpone and 250 gr ricotta

250 ml Greek yoghurt (the full fat variety, not that low-fat Greek-style stuff)

140 ml quality runny honey

2 eggs

3-4 tbsp raisins or sultanas (optional)

3-4 tbsp good dark rum (optional)

1/4 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract

a dash of orange extract or orange flower water (optional)

the grated zest of an orange

the grated zest of a lemon

2-3 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted

Optional for garnish: icing sugar or similar sugar free alternative (Natvia) and fresh mint

Method

Soak the raisins in the rum and set aside for as long as you’re got.

Preheat the oven to 160 C.

Mix the crushed biscuits with the butter.  Line an oven dish or springform with the buttery biscuits. Bake the biscuit base for 10 mins or so until starting to get golden.

Beat together the yoghurt, mascapone, eggs and honey in a large bowl Strain the rum from the raisins, reserving the rum. Add the raisins to the cheesecake mix, together with the orange zest and extracts (if using).

Pour over the biscuit base and shake the dish a little to flatten the mixture out. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 1-1 1/4 hr.

Uncover, scatter over the almonds and bake uncovered for another 20 mins or so, until the sides are starting to come away from the dish and the cheesecake is just set, but still with the slightest wobble in the middle. It will continue to cook as it cools. Allow to cool and chill in the fridge until needed.

Serve dusted with icing sugar, aside caramelized oranges and a sprig of mint.

 

Alternative serving suggestion

Leave out the rum raisins, but add double the orange zest and lemon zet and definitely orange blossom extract. Top the oranges with crushed pistachio nuts, pomegranate seeds and sprinkle the lot with some finely crushed caramel or praline if you have it.

Classic Caramelized Oranges (serves 5-6 GF V Vg LC DF RSF)

This is great on its own with a dollop of creme fraiche, fromage frais or thick cream. Perfect for picnics or slightly warmed over vanilla ice cream.

I won’t pretend I’ve invented this: I borrowed it from the 70s.

Ingredients

4-6 oranges depending on size

200 gr unrefined caster sugar

Optional: armonatics like a vanilla pod, a cinnamon pod, a couple of star anise and/or a tonka bean or 2

125 ml water or the rum from the soaked raisins topped up to 125 ml  with water

125 ml freshly boiled water

Method

Pare the zest off 2-3 of the oranges.

Add the sugar to a heavy based frying pan and set over medium heat. Do not stir. Let the sugar melt and caramelise to a deep golden amber.

Watch it like a hawk because it it easy to burn a caramel. So adjust the heat if parts start to burn before other parts have melted. Occasionally shake the pan or swirl the pan to mix the melted bits through the un-melted bits. Never stir or the sugar will crystalise and seize up.

Meanwhile bring the water (with the rum if using) to the boil.

Once the sugar is nicely caramelised, take the pan off the heat ans set into a sink filled with a low layer of ice-cold water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the hot water(and rum if using) and stand back a bit as it will splutter and hiss at you.

Stir and put the pan back on the heat for a few minutes, stirring to dissolve the caramel into the water through the hot water.

Add the orange zest and set aside to cool.

Cut the top and bottom from each orange, stand them on a board and cut away the peel and white pith by following the orange around to the bottom bit by bit with a sharp knife (video). Then either cut the segments from between the membranes, or simply cut each orange into thin slices.

Add the oranges and their juices to the zest and caramel. Chill until needed. Serve as a side to desserts, with ice cream, or on its own with creme fraiche, Greek yoghurt or  thick cream.

Alternative serving suggestion or leftovers

Serve the oranges (without the zest) in a glass bowl top with a good dollop of thick Greek yoghurt (not the Greek-style runnier stuff). Spoon over a little of the amber orange juices. Then sprinkle generously with pomegranate seeds,  crushed pistachio nuts and finely crushed caramel brittle or praline (if you have it).

You could stir caramelised  zest through the yoghurt if you wish, but if so, make sure you have patted them dry, so they don’t thin out the yoghurt.