Ingredients:
For the crust -
- 300g digestive biscuits
- 150g melted butter
For the cheesecake layer -
- 500g cream cheese (placed in room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to soften)
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons gelatin powder
- 1 & 1/4 cups boiling water
- 2/3 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- About 10 to 12 strawberries
For the jelly layer -
- 160g strawberry flavoured jelly
- 1 & 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 & 1/2 cups cold water
Methods:
For the crust -
- Place 150g of butter in a oven proof bowl.
- Cover the bowl loosely with cling film wrap or use a microwave oven food cover. Microwave for 30 to 40 seconds at high till butter is melted.
- Dip a brush into the melted butter and butter a large rectangular pan generously. I used a 13 X 10 X 2 inch glass pan.
- Use digestive biscuits for the base.
- Place 300g of digestive biscuits in a food processor.
- Process till they become fine crumbs.
- Place the crumbs in a large bowl and add the melted butter.
- Stir well to combine.
- Place the biscuits-butter mixture in the pan.
- Using a potato masher or a large glass with a flat surface, pack the mixture tightly into the pan.
- Once the crust is made, place the pan in the fridge and chill until ready to use.
For the cheesecake layer -
- Add 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of gelatin powder in a bowl. Use the right amount of gelatin, else the cheese layer won’t set.
- Add 1 & 1/4 cups of boiling water to the gelatin powder.
- Stir well till all the gelatin has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Place 500g of cream cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 2/3 cups of sugar.
- Using an electric whisk, combine the cheese and sugar. The cream cheese must be soft otherwise it will be very hard to mix here.
- Whisk till the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture.
- Add the cooled gelatin mixture a little at a time. Whisk well to combine.
- The finished mixture should be a runny smooth liquid. Like a milkshake. If there are lumps, run the mixture through a sieve.
- Remove the pan from the fridge. Using a fork, prick holes all over the biscuit base.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture on to the biscuit base.
- Let the mixture rest in room temperature for about 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, cut the strawberries. Cut them first in half. Look for the thicker side and cut lengthwise across it so that each strawberry heart is thick. Then at the top of the strawberries, slice off the white tops with the leaves and cut a deep V in the centre.
- Press each strawberry half into the cream cheese mixture. Let the strawberry sink in gently. If the strawberries don’t sink in, they will float up in the jelly layer later.
- Space the strawberries 1 inch to 1.5 inches apart.
- Cover the pan with cling film wrap.
- Place the pan in the fridge. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. If the cheese layer is not well chilled, the cheese will disintegrate when the jelly layer is added.
For the jelly layer -
- Use strawberry jelly powder to make the top layer.
- Place 160g strawberry jelly powder in a bowl.
- Add 1 & 1/2 cups of boiling water.
- Whisk well till jelly powder has dissolved.
- Add 1 & 1/2 cups of COLD water. Mix well.
- Ensure that the jelly-water mixture has cooled. If the mixture is still hot, it will melt the cheese layer and cause bits of cheese to float in the jelly layer. Gently pour the cooled mixture over the cream cheese layer.
- Pour just enough jelly to cover the strawberries.
- Cover with cling film wrap again.
- Chill for at least 4 hours.
- Cut into nice small pieces of jelly hearts cheese cake.
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