No-Bake Black Forest Cheesecake!

Biscuit Base

• 300 g Digestives
• 150 g Unsalted Butter

Cheesecake Filling

• 500 g Full-Fat Cream Cheese
• 100 g Icing Sugar
• 300 ml Double Cream
• 100 g Milk Chocolate
• 100 g Dark Chocolate
• 1x Jar Opies Black Cherries in Kirsch
• 1-2 tbsp Kirsch

Decoration

• 180 g Full-Fat Cream Cheese
• 100 ml Double Cream
• 75 g Icing Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Chocolate Curls
• Spare liquid from Cherry Jar
• Fresh Cherries

For the Base

• Melt the butter in the microwave on short bursts on in a small pan over a medium heat until smooth.
• Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a small crumb, add the melted butter, and pulse a few times until it is combined well.
• Tip into a 8″/20cm Deep Springform Tin and press down firmly – chill in the refrigerator whilst you do the rest!

For the Filling

• Drain the Cherries in Kirsch from the liquid and separate the two. I pour the kirsch liquid back into the jar and refrigerate for now.
• In a separate bowl, melt the two chocolates together in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring gently or microwave in short bursts until fully melted – leave to cool slightly whilst doing the rest.
• With an electric mixer (I used my KitchenAid) Whisk the Cream Cheese and Icing sugar until combined. Add in the slightly cooled melted chocolate and whisk till smooth.
• Pour in the liquid double cream and continue to whip the cheesecake until it is starting to thicken a lot like a Mousse does (I use speed 6/10 on my KitchenAid)
• Once done, it will hold it self completely when finished whipping. Add the drained cherries to the mixture, along with one tablespoon of kirsch, and fold together. If you like, add another tablespoon of kirsch and fold through again!
• Pour the mix on to the biscuit base and smooth over. In a separate bowl, whip together the 180g Cream Cheese, 100ml cream, icing sugar and vanilla until thickened.
• Pipe rosettes around the edge of the cheesecake (like pictured) and add a fresh cherry to each. Add any spare cherries into the middle of the hole in the middle! Cover the cheesecake, and chill in the fridge for at least 5-6 hours or preferably overnight.
• Remove the cheesecake from the tin, I use a thin metal spatula to lift mine off the base in one piece. In a pan, add the liquid from the Cherries in Kirsch Jar and boil, continue to boil for a few minutes so the liquid reduces down to a thicker syrup.
• Cool the liquid and drizzle over the cheesecake. Sprinkle over some Chocolate Curls, and huzzaaaaah, you’re done!

• I recommend using a 8″/20cm Deep Springform Tin in this recipe!
• I always set my cheesecakes in the fridge overnight otherwise they risk being a little runny still and slipping off the biscuit base but if you want to risk it then go for it!
• When reducing the Kirsch liquid down to drizzle on the cheesecake, be careful not to over reduce as it’ll almost turn to a caramel and go solid. I reduce my liquid to about 1/4 of the original amount by letting it boil constantly for a few minutes.
• I used the Opies Black Cherries in Kirsch as the cherries are pitted, and they’re soaked in kirsch to suit the ‘Black Forest’ theme. If you want an alcohol free version, use a ‘Cherry Filling‘ jar, or even Black Cherry Jam!
• Also, you can drizzle the cheesecake with melted chocolate, cherry jam, or beaten down Cherry Filling instead of the spare Cherry Kirsch liquid if you wished! And you can easily just use Whipped Cream on top instead of the Vanilla Cheesecake but that’s up to you!
• This Cheesecake will last covered in the fridge for 3 days!