Ottolenghi's Honey & Yogurt Set Cheesecake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: Food52

April23,2021

16 Ratings

Ottolenghi's Honey & Yogurt Set Cheesecake Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 2 hours 10 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Serves 8

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Author Notes

"No oven, no bain-marie, no cracks—this is the simplest of cheesecakes! You can make this up to 2 days ahead, topping with honey and thyme just before serving if you like. It will keep in the fridge but the base will soften with time."

This recipe is featured in the story, A Simple, Make-Ahead Menu from Ottolenghi’s Latest Cookbook, sponsored by Ten Speed Press. It is reprinted from Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi with Tara Wigley and Esme Howarth, with permission from our partner Ten Speed Press. —Food52

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

2 cupsplus 2 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt
about 12 Hobnobs (or other oat-flour cookie)
¹/₄ cupunsalted butter, melted
1 ¹/₂ tablespoonsthyme leaves
14 ouncescream cheese, at room temperature
¹/₄ cupplus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, finely zested to get 1 teaspoon
5 ¹/₄ ounceswhite chocolate, broken into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoonshoney

Directions

Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Line a sieve with a clean kitchen towel and set above a bowl. Spoon in the yogurt, then draw up the sides of the kitchen towel. Squeeze the yogurt into a ball, pressing out as much liquid as you can. You want to end up with about 1 2/3 cups of thickened yogurt. Set aside until required. Discard the liquid.
Place the Hobnobs in a clean plastic bag and crush them finely with a rolling pin. Mix with the butter and 1 tablespoon of the thyme and spoon into the cake pan, pressing it down to form an even layer. Set aside in the fridge.
Whisk together the cream cheese, strained yogurt, confectioners' sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and combined; this can be done in a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer.
Next melt the chocolate. This needs to be done in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (taking care that the base of the bowl is not touching the water). Stir the chocolate frequently for 2 to 3 minutes, taking care not to get any moisture into the chocolate as this will cause it to seize. Spoon the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and whisk until combined.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cookie base evenly, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until set.
When ready to serve, warm the honey in a small saucepan with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon of thyme leaves until thin and runny. Remove from the heat and drizzle over the cheesecake.
Release the cheesecake from the pan, divide into 8 slices, and serve.

Tags:

Cheesecake
Mediterranean
Cream Cheese
Honey
Thyme
White Chocolate
Yogurt
Make Ahead
Dessert

See what other Food52ers are saying.

AKB
Savindi
Christina McMac
BarbaraM

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10 Reviews

BarbaraM May 3, 2021

I made this substituting feta cheese for some of the yogurt filling and it was delicious!

Missliv May 29, 2020

The filing tasted amazing!!!! Do not drizzle 3 tbsp of honey on it as the final step suggests, it ruined it and made it sickly sweet :( only needs 2 tsp

See Also

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Laurajena April 30, 2020

After I squeezed the liquid out of the yogurt I ended with a lot less yogurt than the recipe so had to buy more. This recipe is much better tasting a day or two later. Something I didn’t find in the reviews. Mist people were intent on the base being crunchy which in fact is not so nice. Some of the recipe is in ounces and most in cups. Personally I hate cups. So messy and after Weight-watchers arrived In the USA with their scales I thought they’d get with the ounces but no, cups are still in use. Please make your recipes in ounces too.

AKB January 1, 2020

I've made a lot of cheesecakes this year, and this was one of my favorites. Easy, elegant, great flavor and texture.

After reading comments here and elsewhere, I made sure to spend extra time at the straining yogurt step. I also left it to set overnight.

The recipe in the book specifies weights. For anyone who prefers to bake by weights, they are: 500g of yogurt, 200g of cookie for the base, 60g butter, 400g cream cheese, 40g powdered/confectioners sugar, 150g white chocolate, 60g honey. The recipe also specifies that the yogurt should weigh about 340g after straining -- although mine weighed closer to 300g.

Fiona August 14, 2019

This was lovely. The flavours were really delicate. But mine didn't set, even after 4 hours in the fridge. It had set by the next day, long after my guests had been served a messy dessert. There were no complaints though!

Savindi May 28, 2019

I haven’t made this myself but have tasted, and it is absolutely delicious.

limonana May 2, 2019

this sounds great! would like help with those 12 cookies though, can someone specify weight or volume of the amount needed for the crust?

Katie August 29, 2019

Yes! I had the same question, as I couldn't get Hobnobs and will be using graham crackers. I'm going to try doing 10 grahams and see if it looks like the right amount for a 9 inch pan.

Christina M. March 24, 2019

I don't like white chocolate but this is exceptional. You can't taste it, it's just to help it set and give it some depth. Incredibly easy and a huge hit.

judy February 14, 2019

Not a fan of white chocolate. Made this the gelatin way. Knox gelatin and in the fridge. Was delicious. So many variations possible. I liked the thyme and honey. Would not have thought of that flavor profile. Will make again.

Ottolenghi's Honey & Yogurt Set Cheesecake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How to make my cheesecake set? ›

Smooth the top of the cheesecake down with the back of a dessert spoon or spatula. Leave to set in the fridge overnight. Bring the cheesecake to room temperature about 30 mins before serving. To remove it from the tin, place the base on top of a can, then gradually pull the sides of the tin down.

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Why did no-bake cheesecake not set? ›

The primary reason a no-bake cheesecake is too runny or doesn't set up properly is generally the temperature of the ingredients. If your cream cheese is too warm, the mixture will be too soft and will never set up properly.

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What does it mean when a cheesecake is set? ›

If the cheesecake looks nearly set and only a small circle in the center jiggles slightly, it's done. You might worry a runny middle means raw cheesecake, but it's totally safe and normal. The center will firm up as it cools on a cooling rack, resulting in the smooth surface you want.

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What is the difference between baked cheesecake and set cheesecake? ›

The differences in ingredients and preparation methods are what create the texture. Both may be smooth and creamy but not in the same way. A baked cheesecake usually has a silky consistency and firmer texture. A no-bake cheesecake will have a lighter, softer, almost fluffy texture, often more like a pudding or mousse.

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Why won t cheesecake set? ›

A chilled cheesecake won't set firm if you don't make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature when you use it. For best results leave it out of the fridge overnight and don't over beat it.

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How do you make a no bake cheesecake set faster? ›

After the chill time, if your cheesecake still isn't firm enough, you can freeze it to help it set up. Be careful not to freeze it too long unwrapped though; it can cause the texture to become gritty.

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How do you fix a cheesecake that won't set? ›

Allow The Cheesecake To Cool

After the cheesecake is done, switch off the oven and let it cool down in the oven for an hour or more. Doing this helps the cheesecake to cool down slowly and helps it to set properly.

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How do you make cheesecake stiffer? ›

There are a few ways to thicken cheesecake filling. One way is to use cornstarch, which is a common thickener in many desserts. You can mix a tablespoon or two of cornstarch into your cheesecake filling mixture before baking. Another option is to use a little bit of flour or arrowroot powder.

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How do you make a cheesecake set faster? ›

Use a cooler environment: Place the cheesecake in the coldest part of your refrigerator, usually the back or bottom shelf. This will help it chill faster. Cut into smaller portions: If you're in a hurry, you can cut the cheesecake into smaller portions. This will allow them to cool faster than a whole cheesecake.

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Can I put my cheesecake in the freezer to set? ›

Yes, you can freeze a no-bake cheesecake to hasten its setting time. However, you should only keep it in the freezer for approximately an hour since if you keep it there for too long, it might freeze solid.

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