Rasa Pelham Everyday Life, Recipes

When the oven breaks…

Three no-bake cheesecakes in cupcake liners topped with raspberries and chocolate decorations.

The past couple of weeks I have been a little bit upset as the oven in my house is broken… which means no baking :-(. But this did not stop me from eating deserts… You see, I have been experimenting with no-bake cheesecake, which I tried to fit into little cups. Why? because I think the smaller the cuter! So there you go my best version so far…

CUP-CHEESECAKE
(makes 12)

  • 200g (14) Bourbons (chocolate biscuits)
  • 75g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter
  • 200g (7oz) soft cheese (something like Philadelphia)
  • 300ml (1¼ cup) sweetened condensed milk
  • 250g (9oz) cream fraiche (soured cream)
  • 1tbsp lemon juice
  • 10g (4 sheets) gelatine, soaked in cold water
  • 36 raspberries (3 per cup)
  • 50g chocolate (optional)

1. Break up the Bourbons into food processor then crush them up. Stir in the butter. Use crumbs to line the base of 12 cupcake cases.

      A muffin tray with six cupcake liners filled with crushed chocolate biscuits, alongside a bowl of fresh raspberries and a notepad with a blue pen.

      2. Blend the soft cheese with condensed milk and cream fraiche.

      3. Heat the lemon juice in a pan. Squeeze water from the gelatine leaves and stir into the juice. Strain trough a sieve over the cheesecake mixture and continue mixing until well combined. Pour the filling into the 12 cups over the base.

      A baking tray with six cupcake liners filled with cheesecake mixture, alongside a plate of fresh raspberries and a notebook with a pen.

      4. Drop tree raspberries into each cup and place the whole cupcake pan into the fridge to set for approximately two hours.

        A tray of no-bake cheesecake cups filled with cream mixture and topped with raspberries, next to a notepad and pen.

        5. Meanwhile melt the chocolate and pour it into the piping bag. On the parchment paper pipe whatever shape you want to decorate your cup-cheesecakes (I tried to create little hearts, but it could be anything).

        Chocolate decorations piped onto parchment paper in the shape of hearts.

        6. Place the tray with the chocolate decoration into the freezer for 15min and then they are ready for the job.

        7. This is the end job to enjoy… yum!

        Close-up of a small cup cheesecake with raspberry topping and a chocolate decoration, partially cut to show the layers inside.
        Rasa xox
        Rasa Pelham Recipes

        The moment of Desperate Housewives

        A group of friends celebrating a birthday, with a cake featuring a lit sparkler in the center. The table is set with various dishes and drinks, and the atmosphere appears festive.

        I don’t know about you but I am a big fan of the American sitcom “Desperate Housewives”. In fact that’s the only TV program I watch! Anyway, there is one part I find really funny where Bree (the one that has her own catering business) tried to steal the recipe from Katherine (one of her neighbours in Wisteria Lane). It all started when “the girls” (other neighbours) liked Katherine’s lemon meringue pie better than Bree’s. Bree of course gets jealous (as you may all know she likes to be the best in baking). Initially she asks for the recipe, but to my surprise Katherine refuses! So Bree goes for even more shocking action and tries to steal it by breaking into the the Katherine’s house…. I always wonder why in Wisteria Lane people don’t lock their door? Is this what they do in USA? That surely would not work in London if you can imagine!
        Anyway, few weeks ago I had a similar situation. My best friend Vicki’s birthday was coming up and I was looking for a good cake recipe she would really like. I knew Vicki loves cheesecakes, chocolate, coffee and alcohol (sometimes I am even concerned that she might be an alcoholic… ha ha, only joking ;-)). Anyway, I remembered that she really liked the cake that one girl (her name is Jada) from my Church made . It was a cake made of cookies, cream and of course alcohol! I decided to ask Jada for the recipe as I knew she got it from her aunt. And guess what, Jada told me that her aunt does not want to give that recipe away!!!  I was gobsmacked! How can this be? At that point I felt exactly like Bree felt, I finally could relate and understand her motivations to commit her “crime”. I bet if Jada’s aunt was living in the setting of Wisteria Lane and especially if she did not lock her house door, I would be definitely tempted to steal that recipe! Never mind,  I have realized that I still live in London and I absolutely have no idea where Jada’s aunt lives. So I had to come up with more civilized option. I decided to create a recipe from my own memory of how that desert tasted. I can only say that the cake came out successful and it managed to generate me some praising (that I always love!).  And… Jada, if you are reading this, I am definitely not upset. I am actually really proud of you that you managed to keep the promise you gave to your aunt 🙂

        A beautifully presented cheesecake topped with chocolate shavings, placed on a dark cloth.

        VICKI’S BIRTHDAY CAKE

        (A no-bake, boozy cookie and cream cake)

        • 1 can coconut milk (400ml)
        • 1tsp icing sugar (if coconut milk is not creamy)
        • 40g creamed coconut (if coconut milk is not creamy)
        • 200ml coconut flavor rum (otherwise known as “Malibu”)
        • 640g cookies (I prefer all butter ones!)
        • 300ml double cream
        • tiny bit of dark chocolate for decoration
        1. Mix coconut milk with the rum.
          First time I made this cake ( when testing the ingredients) I bought coconut milk that was creamy and thick. but when I was making it second time (for the actual birthday) I bought different brand (“Island Sun”) and it came runny and not as sweet as previous brand. I was initially panicking, but quickly fixed it with a little bit of icing sugar (I find that icing sugar blends easier) and creamed coconut (luckily I had it in my cupboard!). I think it came out as good as the first time!
        2. Dip cookies in badges and let it soak in rum and coconut milk mix for a little but no longer than 3min (otherwise it will turn into porridge!)
        3. Line all soaked cookies into the spring form.
        4. Whip double cream and cover cookies with it (Just don’t whip it too much as then it is difficult for it to get through the cookies’ gaps). I Don’t think Jada put double cream in her cake but I did it so my cake looks pretty 😀
        5. Decorate it with flaked chocolate (just take the bit of plain dark chocolate and run knife edge trough it. At least that’s the way I find the easiest to flake the chocolate.
        6. Before enjoying keep it in the fridge for at least one night (Don’t be tempted to put into freezer).

        Whats your favourite cake?
        Rasa 🙂