Name: No-Bake Peach Cheesecake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: One 15 cm cheesecake plus 2 small dessert cups, approximately 8 servings
Cuisine: Japanese Inspired
Ingredients: 1 fresh peach; 300 ml water; 50 ml white wine; 50 g granulated sugar, for the peach compote; 10 ml lemon juice; 100 g graham crackers or plain digestive biscuits; 30 g unsalted butter, melted; 200 g cream cheese, brought to room temperature; 40 g granulated sugar, for the cheesecake; 30 ml hot water, for the cheesecake gelatin; 6 g sheet gelatin, for the cheesecake; 150 ml heavy or double cream; 10 g granulated sugar, for the whipped cream; 150 g prepared peach and compote syrup, combined; 6 g sheet gelatin, for the peach jelly; 30 ml hot water, for the peach-jelly gelatin; 200 ml peach-compote syrup

Method

Line the base and sides of a 15 cm round cake tin with baking parchment.
Wash the peach, cut it in half and remove the stone. Keep the skin on because it gives the compote syrup a pale pink colour.
Place the peach, 300 ml water, white wine, 50 g sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer for approximately 5 minutes.
Separate the peach from the syrup and allow both to cool completely.
Soak 6 g sheet gelatin for the cheesecake in ice-cold water until softened.
Crush the graham crackers finely and combine them thoroughly with the melted butter.
Press the cracker mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared 15 cm tin.
Beat the room-temperature cream cheese until smooth. Add 40 g sugar and mix until the graininess of the sugar is no longer noticeable.
Squeeze excess water from the softened gelatin and dissolve it in 30 ml hot water. Mix this thoroughly into the cream-cheese mixture.
Whip the cream with 10 g sugar over an ice bath until softly thickened but not stiff.
Fold the softly whipped cream into the cream-cheese mixture until evenly combined.
Cut the cooked peach into four portions. Weigh peach and compote syrup together to obtain 150 g.
Purée approximately half of this 150 g peach mixture. Dice the remaining peach into bite-sized pieces.
Fold both the peach purée and diced peach into the cheesecake mixture.
Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cracker base. Level the surface and refrigerate for approximately 3 hours, until set.
For the peach jelly, soak the remaining 6 g sheet gelatin in ice-cold water until softened.
Squeeze out the gelatin and dissolve it in the remaining 30 ml hot water.
Combine the dissolved gelatin with 200 ml peach-compote syrup and allow it to cool without setting.
Pour the cooled peach jelly gently over the set cheesecake.
Refrigerate for at least 5 additional hours, until the jelly is completely firm.
Decorate with any remaining large peach pieces and a little compote syrup.
To serve cleanly, warm and dry the knife before cutting each slice.

Helpful tips

Cook the peach with its skin attached to give the compote syrup a natural pale-pink colour.
Cool the peach and syrup completely before combining them with the cream-cheese mixture.
Bring the cream cheese to room temperature so it blends without lumps.
Whip the cream only to a soft consistency; stiff cream is harder to fold smoothly into the cheesecake.
Ensure the cheesecake layer is completely set before pouring over the peach jelly.
Allow the jelly mixture to cool before adding it so it does not melt the cheesecake layer.
Warm and dry the knife between cuts for clean slices.

Storage

Keep refrigerated because the recipe contains cream cheese, fresh cream and gelatin. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Freezing is not recommended because it may damage the texture of the peach jelly.

Additional tips

Contains milk, wheat and gluten. The recipe also contains white wine; although the compote is simmered, some alcohol may remain. Use an alcohol-free substitution where necessary. Gelatin is animal-derived and is not vegetarian.