Few desserts are more indulgent than a deliciously rich cheesecake. It’s the last thing you’d expect to find in a cookbook devoted to healthy eating. But Gordon Ramsay has come up with a cheesecake that’s not only delicious, it’s low fat too. In his new recipe book Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite (pub. Quadrille, £20), the Michelin- starred chef has given cheesecake an Italian flavour by using light ricotta cheese to make the filling. His recipe, which appears here with permission, also has an optional orange syrup made with a dash of liqueur. Okay, it still won’t exactly be a low calorie dessert, but it’s lower in fat than traditional cheesecake. And with those oranges – well, you’ll be getting vitamin C too. Just don't cut too big a slice.
Ricotta Cheesecake with Orange and Cinnamon – Recipe
Low-fat Baked Cheesecake
Ingredients - Serves 8
Crust:
- 40 g lightly salted butter, melted, plus extra to grease
- 150 g reduced-fat digestive biscuits
- 1 medium egg white, lightly beaten
Ricotta Filling:
- 500 g ricotta cheese
- 250 g quark
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 3 large eggs
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 2-3 tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau, to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Oranges in syrup (optional):
- 4 large navel oranges
- 50 g caster sugar
- 60ml Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Method
- Heat the oven to 150° C./Gas 2. Lightly butter a deep 20 cm cake tin with a removable base.
- For the crust, break up the biscuits and whiz in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture comes together. Tip into the prepared tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon to create a neat crust.
- Stand the tin on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. As you remove it from the oven, brush the crust with the egg white. Leave to cool slightly. Clean the processor.
- For the ricotta filling, whiz all the ingredients in a food processor until well blended. You may need to stop the machine to scrape down the sides once or twice. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 30 minutes until it has just set around the edges but is still quite runny in the middle.
- Turn off the heat but leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool slowly; the filling will continue to set as it cools. Leave until completely cooled, preferably overnight.
- To prepare the oranges if serving, cut away the peel and pith, then slice into rounds and place in a bowl. Heat a heavy-based frying pan until hot, add the sugar and let it caramelise over a high heat. Protecting your hand (as the mixture will splutter), add the liqueur and a small splash of water. The caramel may harden, but it will soften and return to a syrup as you stir over a low heat. Pour over the orange slices and toss to coat.
- To serve, run a knife around the cheesecake and unmould onto a plate. Serve with the oranges in syrup if desired.
If you liked this Gordon Ramsay recipe, try his Calves' Liver with Caramelised Onions and read a review of his Healthy Appetite book.
Rebecca Ford - I'm a UK based freelance travel writer and photographer - and the country I most like to visit is Italy. That's not just because of the ...
