Hello Eat With the Seasons readers! I'm Stina of the blog HearthBird. I am an Arizona native that just recently moved from California to Southern Ohio. As an avid natural foodie, I am certainly loving it here. What wonderful wild and home-grown treasure this place has to offer! I am so excited and honored to be sharing some of my Ohio culinary discoveries with you!
I know black raspberry season has reached it's peak and now the blackberries are setting on, but I just couldn't resist creating a post for all the raspberries I wild harvested and saved in the freezer. This recipe is versatile, so it would be well suited for any in-season or frozen berry you have on hand.
These cheesecakes are a little different than others you are probably familiar with. This recipe uses thick strained yogurt, making it much healthier than the standard cheesecake without compromising flavor or texture. I consider myself fairly obsessed with the stuff. I prepare several quarts of fresh, raw milk yogurt every other day and use it in just about everything. Sarah did a lovely tutorial post about homemade yogurt that would work just fine for this recipe. Alas, if you're not into making it yourself, you can use store bought. A plain, unsweetened, unflavored, Greek variety would yield the best results. Simply put the yogurt in a straining bag (you can purchase these inexpensively) and let the additional liquid (whey) drip from the bag for a couple hours. I usually tie the bag from a cupboard handle and place a large bowl under it. This process creates a very thick, cream cheese-like texture. Perfect for cheesecakes! Just keep in mind that your quantity of yogurt will decrease during this process because you are removing the whey, so you'll want to start out with a little extra.
This is how the yogurt should look after it is strained.
These cheesecakes are a little different than others you are probably familiar with. This recipe uses thick strained yogurt, making it much healthier than the standard cheesecake without compromising flavor or texture. I consider myself fairly obsessed with the stuff. I prepare several quarts of fresh, raw milk yogurt every other day and use it in just about everything. Sarah did a lovely tutorial post about homemade yogurt that would work just fine for this recipe. Alas, if you're not into making it yourself, you can use store bought. A plain, unsweetened, unflavored, Greek variety would yield the best results. Simply put the yogurt in a straining bag (you can purchase these inexpensively) and let the additional liquid (whey) drip from the bag for a couple hours. I usually tie the bag from a cupboard handle and place a large bowl under it. This process creates a very thick, cream cheese-like texture. Perfect for cheesecakes! Just keep in mind that your quantity of yogurt will decrease during this process because you are removing the whey, so you'll want to start out with a little extra.
This is how the yogurt should look after it is strained.
Finally, before we get on to our recipe, I must share with you my sweeteners of choice. Because I am on a diet that restricts the types of sweeteners I may consume, I prefer local honey and liquid stevia extract (and occasionally sucanat). I just tried Ohio's native Locust honey and... WOW. What a strange and exotic flavor! I think it has to be one of my favorite honeys now. Stevia on the on the other hand has been a little gift from herbal heaven. It's an all natural, zero carb, zero sugar, herbal tincture derived from the Stevia Rebaudiana leaf. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar, so just a few drops goes a long way! I have purchased and tried many brands of stevia and by far NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia Liquid is the best. I highly recommend it for anyone that has to watch their sugars. And it's fabulous for making sugar free sweet teas and lemonade!
Individual Yogurt and Black Raspberry Cheesecakes
Ingredients (makes four 8 oz. jars)
Crust:
1 1/4 cups ground almonds or almond meal
1 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. honey
1 or 2 pinches of salt
Filling:
2 cups thick strained yogurt (as pictured above)
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. honey
70 drops NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia Liquid
2 whole eggs + 1 egg white
Topping:
1 heaping cup thawed black raspberries (do not drain)
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbs. arrowroot or cornstarch
10 to 12 drops NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia Liquid
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
For the crust, mash ground almonds, butter, honey, and salt with a fork until it becomes a dough-like consistency. You can mix with your hands if the fork is taking too long. Divide the mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of your jars.
For the filling, mix the honey, stevia, and strained yogurt with a hand mixer until combined. Add one egg at a time, mixing well until light and fluffy.
Spoon the filling into the jars, dividing it evenly. Place the jars in a deep roasting pan and fill the pan with water. The water should come up to an inch below the top of the jars. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Then turn the oven off and let the jars sit in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes.
While the cheesecakes are baking, you should prepare the topping. In a saucepan, sprinkle the raspberries with the starch and toss gently. Add the honey and stevia. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat as soon as it thickens.
Carefully remove the jars from the oven and spoon the topping on. Let them cool and then transfer them to the refrigerator. These absolutely need to chill for at least a couple hours, but over night is best.
You can also garnish with additional raw berries.
Enjoy!
Yum, yum, and yum! Thanks for including the link to the homemade yogurt tutorial.
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