Treat yourself to a slice of this delightful Gin-soaked Blackberry & Apple Cheesecake Crumble! This unique dessert combines the creamy richness of cheesecake with the fruity flavors of blackberries and apples, all topped with a buttery crumble infused with gin for an extra kick. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart! 🍇✨ What’s your favorite twist on a classic dessert?
Ingredients:
For the Blackberries:
200g blackberries
100ml gin (or sloe gin)
2 tbsp sugar (omit if using sloe gin)
For the Apples:
500g cooking apples (like Braeburn), peeled, cored, and diced
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g light brown sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
50ml water
For the Crumble:
200g light brown sugar
220g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g porridge oats
200g slightly salted butter, melted
Flaked almonds, for topping
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
250g cream cheese, softened
25g icing sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions:
Step 1: Macerate the Blackberries
1️⃣ In a container, toss the blackberries with the gin and sugar. Let them soak for a few hours to macerate. Once ready, strain out the gin and set the blackberries aside.
Step 2: Prepare the Apples
2️⃣ Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment paper.
3️⃣ In a medium saucepan, add the diced apples, 50ml of water, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
4️⃣ In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with 50ml of water, then add this mixture to the apples. Stir in the leftover gin from the blackberries. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the apples are softened. Set aside.
Step 3: Make the Crumble
5️⃣ In a bowl, mix the light brown sugar, plain flour, baking powder, and oats. Pour in the melted butter and stir until you get a sandy consistency.
6️⃣ Set aside 1/3 of the crumble mixture for the topping, and press the remaining 2/3 into the bottom of the prepared tin. Use parchment around the bottom of a glass to pack the base down tightly.
Step 4: Make the Cream Cheese Filling
7️⃣ In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until smooth and fluffy.
8️⃣ Spread this cream cheese mixture over the crumble base.
Step 5: Assemble the Slice
9️⃣ Evenly scatter the macerated blackberries over the cream cheese layer.
🔟 Spoon the cooked apple mixture on top of the blackberries.
1️⃣1️⃣ Sprinkle the remaining crumble over the apple layer. Scatter flaked almonds over the top.
Step 6: Bake and Cool
1️⃣2️⃣ Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
1️⃣3️⃣ After 20 minutes, add a handful of flaked almonds to the top and bake for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
1️⃣4️⃣ Remove from the oven and let the slice cool in the tin for 1 hour. Then refrigerate for a few hours to firm up before slicing into squares.
Serve & Enjoy! 🍽️
Enjoy these delightful crumble slices chilled for a burst of flavor from the gin-soaked blackberries, creamy cheesecake, and spiced apples, all wrapped up in a buttery crumble!