After a slow, cold start to the growing season this year, it seems to have thrown harvesting periods into complete disarray. My sunflowers came & went in June, the tomatoes are only just ripening & the rhubarb is still going as strong as ever. The latter I’m not so sad about though. I’m very lucky to have inherited a well established rhubarb on our allotment, I can’t claim to have raised & cared for it myself but I can take pride in what I turn it in to. This week, after much rhubarb compote on pretty much everything, I thought I’d make it into a special treat that I could share with other, using two of the best & most comforting British flavours of all time, rhubarb & custard (you know it’s true).
I’ve taken this quintessentially British flavour & given it a bit of a modern twist, turning into a comforting but vibrant rhubarb & custard cheesecake. Better still, it’s a no bake cheesecake too, so minimal effort for a show stopping pud. With a simple digestive biscuit base, a custard cheesecake filling & ample swirls of sweet, pink rhubarb compote, this even has my mams seal of approval, so you know it’s good.
NO BAKE RHUBARB & CUSTARD CHEESECAKE
(makes one 20cm cheesecake)
Ingredients:
For the base:
- 175g digestive biscuits
- 60g butter
- Pinch of salt salt
For the filling:
- 250g rhubarb
- 150g caster sugar
- 75ml water
- 450g cream cheese
- 200ml double cream
- 6 tbsp custard powder
- 150g icing sugar
Method:
- Grease & line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin
- Using a food processor, blitz the biscuits until they resemble fine breadcrumbs
- Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan set over a low heat or in the microwave
- Place the biscuit & melted butter into a bowl & mix together, ensuring that all of the biscuit has been coated by the butter
- Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin & use the back of a spoon or a spatula to press the mixture down into an even layer along the base of the tin
- To make the rhubarb compote, roughly cut the rhubarb into small chunks & place into a medium sized saucepan along with the caster sugar & water
- Set the rhubarb over a medium-high heat for around 10-15 minutes, until the rhubarb has broken down & the mixture becomes smooth & pulpy, if it seems a little thick add in a little extra water to thin the compote down a bit
- To make the filling add the cream cheese, double cream, custard powder & icing sugar to a large bowl & to beat together with a whisk or hand mixer until smooth & fluffy
- Pour half of the cream cheese filling on top of the biscuit base in the tin
- Next, take half of the rhubarb compote & gently spread in an even layer over the top of the cream cheese
- Pour the remaining cream cheese filling into the tip & level the surface
- Take the rest of the rhubarb compote & dollop randomly on top of the cheesecake
- Whilst the compote is still smooth, take a knife or a skewer & use it to swirl the compote & cheesecake filling together a little
- Finally, pop the cheesecake in the fridge & leave to chill overnight
- Once chilled, release the no bake rhubarb & custard cheesecake from it’s tin & store in the fridge until needed