Rhubarb and gin jelly cheesecake bars
Makes: 12
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Rhubarb and gin jelly cheesecake bars
A rich mascarpone cheesecake, topped with a vibrant rhubarb and gin jelly - what's not to love about these colourful boozy treats?
Makes: 12
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
467Kcal
Fat
34gr
Saturates
21gr
Carbs
32gr
Sugars
25gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
6gr
Salt
0.7gr
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Ingredients
For the base
- flavourless oil, to grease
- 200g digestive biscuits
- 75g butter, melted
For the cheesecake
- 4 sheets of leaf gelatine
- juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 500g mascarpone
- 2 x 180g packs full-fat soft cheese (we used Philadelphia)
- 100g caster sugar
For the rhubarb jelly
- 400g rhubarb, chopped
- 125g caster sugar
- 50ml rhubarb and ginger gin (we used a 5cl miniature from Whitley Neill)
- 4 sheets of leaf gelatine
Step by step
Get ahead
Keep the cheesecake bars covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Line the base of a loose-bottomed 20cm square cake tin and brush the sides lightly with oil. For the base, blitz the biscuits to a crumb in a food processor, then combine with the melted butter and stir well to ensure all the crumbs are coated in the butter. Press into the base of the tin in an even layer. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.
- For the cheesecake layer, soften the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Put the lemon juice in a pan and heat until just simmering. Remove from the heat. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the gelatine, then add to the lemon juice. Stir until dissolved, then set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Put the mascarpone, soft cheese, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the lemon and gelatine mixture and continue to whisk until fully incorporated. Pour into the tin and smooth the top, making sure that it’s as level as you can make it. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or until set firm.
- To make the jelly, put the rhubarb, sugar and gin in a saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the rhubarb is very soft. Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes until soft, as before. Press the rhubarb through a sieve, catching the juice in a jug underneath, then discard the rhubarb pulp. Add the gelatine to the hot rhubarb liquid and stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then pour the jelly over the top of the cheesecake. Cover and chill for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight if possible, to set firmly.
- To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin and slice into 12 bars.
