Cardamom and pistachio biscuit base
crushed biscuit and
pistachio topping
lightly
flavoured
creamy filling
This recipe is based on one of my favourite desserts in the world! Rashmalai or Rasmalai, a South Asian dessert, said to have originated in Bengal, which is typically made/eaten at special occasions and celebrations, such as weddings, parties, Eid or just because you feel like it. Rashmalai consists of balls of Chhana/Paneer (a type of Indian soft cheese), flavoured with cardamom, pistachio and saffron. Unlike many other popular South Asian desserts which are very sweet, rich and usually fried or cooked in sugar syrup, Rashmalai is cooked in delicately flavoured sweetened creamy milk and has a soft, melt
in the mouth texture.
Rashmalai
INGREDIENTS
RASHMALAI CHEESECAKES
BASE:
1 BATCH CARDAMOM BISCUITS
50g MELTED BUTTER
FILLING:
1 tsp BOILING WATER
1 tbsp LEMON JUICE
1 CARDAMOM POD, LIGHTLY CRUSHED
200g DOUBLE CREAM
200g SOFT CHEESE
50-75g ICING SUGAR
TOPPING:
2-3 tbsp CRUMBLED BISCUITS
20g GROUND/FINELY CHOPPED PISTACHIO
(OPTIONAL)
1-2 tsp LEMON ZEST
Anyway! First decision; use cheesecake as the base of the recipe. Next... what do I flavour it with? I asked my mom, looked at a few recipes online and just pondered the dessert in general. I came to the conclusion that cardamom and pistachio were the way to go (saffron is much too expensive for what I want to be, a simple, affordable recipe).
The cream cheese filling element of the recipe is simple soft cheese, double cream and icing sugar (or sweetened condensed milk if you prefer, I do) flavoured with a hint of cardamom and lemon juice. For the base, I took inspiration from my lemon cheesecake making years and, using gingernuts as a guide, made a batch of cardamom-pistachio-nuts(?). The result was a lovely warm, spiced biscuit, you can find the recipe
And that's it!
The essence of this dessert was something that I wanted to try and recreate in a quick and easy recipe. Although I struggled to think of a European dessert with a similar texture, the first thing I thought of was cheesecake! It has the same sweet, creamy taste and is very simple to make. (In fact one of the first desserts I learnt to make after basic sponges and cupcakes was lemon cheesecake with a gingernut base. I remember making so many as gifts for family members and spending a fortune on mascarpone cheese before I realised the basic Tesco soft cheese does just as good of a job).
SUBSTITUTES & ALTERNATIVES:
- Replace double cream and icing sugar with 200g sweetened condensed milk for a richer, creamier taste.
- Replace the lemon and
cardamom with 1-2 tbsp rose
water for Rose and Pistachio
cheesecakes.
- You can swap out the cardamom biscuits for any other biscuits or cake you like and try different flavourings to create so many combinations. Try it, experiment!
Makes around 16 biscuits
Prep: 25 mins
STEP-BY-STEP
1. Place the biscuits in a re-sealable food bag and close, ensuring to let out most of the air. Crush the biscuits into crumbs using a rolling pin. Set aside 2-3 tablespoons of the crumbs to use as topping.
2. In a small bowl, add the biscuit crumbs to the melted butter and stir well with a spoon ensuring all of the crumbs have been coated.
4. Add the cardamom pod, lemon juice and boiling water to a mug and microwave for around 15-20 seconds. Or simmer in a small pot with a lid, on low heat, for 10 minutes.
3. Using a small spoon, add the biscuit mix to your dessert glasses until about ¼ full.
5. In a large bowl whisk the double cream until it forms thick peaks. Stir the soft cheese in its container, then add to the double cream in 3 parts, mixing well after each addition.
6. Sift in half of the icing sugar and whisk together.
7. Using a small sieve, pour the lemon and cardamom water into the cream cheese mix and fold in. Add remaining icing sugar and mix.
8. Prepare a large icing bag and spoon in the cream cheese filling, twisting the end securely. Snip the end of the icing bag to create a 1 inch hole.
9. Pipe the cream cheese filling into the prepared glasses until almost full.
10. Sprinkle on the biscuit crumbs set aside earlier to decorate. Optionally, you could also add some ground pistachio and lemon zest.
WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL
4. Add 2 tablespoons of golden syrup. Mix with hands or wooden spoon to form dough. If the mixture is too crumbly and not sticking, add another tablespoon of golden syrup.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until browned slightly