There’s something fun, whimsical and comforting about creating something that doesn’t require excess baking or roasting. Chef Michael wraps up a holiday meal with a delicious No-Bake Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake with Blueberry/Tangerine Gelee’. The cheesecake is a great balance of tartness and semi-sweetness. Sub-Zero’s dual refrigeration and compressor system keeps the refrigerator space moist and humid so food doesn’t dry out – perfect for making the perfect (without the dry skin/film forming on the top or edges). This cheesecake is a show- stopper!

Ingredients:

For the Crust

  • 5 cups cookies or wafers
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter

 For the Cheesecake

  • 12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 5 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 5 oz + 1 oz granulated sugar
  • ½ oz powdered gelatin
  • 2 oz hot water
  • 10 ½ oz heavy cream
  • 1 oz granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ oz lemon juice, fresh

For The Blueberry/Tangerine Gelee’

  • 1 pint frozen blueberries
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 tangerines, skin peeled off and quartered
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 ½ teaspoons agar agar

Directions:

  1. Crush cookies by placing them in a plastic bag and pounding them with a rolling pin. Add melted butter and mix.
  2. Line the bottom and sides of a springform pan with parchment paper. Fill the bottom of the springform pan with the cookie butter mixture. Use a rubber spatula to pack the mixture in evenly. Cool in a refrigerator.
  3. Mix 12 oz. cream cheese and 5 oz. mascarpone in a bowl together until uniform, smooth, and loose. Add 3.5 oz sugar and continue to mix until homogenous.
  4. Dissolve ½ oz. gelatin powder in a bowl of 2 oz. hot water. Add water/gelatin mixture to cream cheese mixture and combine thoroughly.
  5. Whip 10 ½ oz of cream with 1 oz. sugar until very soft peaks form. Add to cream cheese mixture. Mix until homogenous.
  6. Add 10 oz of fresh lemon juice. Mix through.
  7. Fill springform pan with cream mixture. Flatten with offset spatula until surface is even. This can take several minutes. Cool in refrigerator for 2 hours.
  8. Bring frozen blueberries, water, tangerines, and lemon zest to a simmer in a small pot or pan. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  9. Stir in agar agar and simmer for 1 more minute. Transfer ingredients into a blender, and puree’ on medium high for 1 minute.
  10. Strain mixture through a fine strainer or chinois back into a bowl. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Pour blueberry mixture over the cheesecake mixture and place in a refrigerator to cool for 2 hours.