Rosanna Marziale adds richness to her no-bake cheesecake recipe with mozzarella cheese. Whipped with cream and poured over a chocolate biscuit base, this makes an indulgent dessert once set in the fridge and served with a fruity berry sauce.

Mozzarella cheesecake with berry sauce

Chef: Rosanna Marziale

Cooking time: 1 hour, plus 4 hours setting

Serves: 4

Course: Dessert

Skill level: Easy

Ingredients:

Base:

• 150g of chocolate biscuits
• 80g of butter, melted

Cheesecake:

• 300g of chopped mozzarella, plus 100g extra to serve
• 150g of whipping cream
• 100g of icing sugar
• 8g of gelatine, softened in cold water
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 vanilla pod

Berry sauce:

• 300g of blackberries
• 20g icing sugar

Method:

1. To prepare the bases, place the chocolate biscuits in a food processor and blitz to crumbs. Mix these in a bowl with the melted butter
2. Line a tray with baking parchment and place 7cm pastry rings on top. Press the biscuit mix into the rings with the back of a spoon, creating an even layer (about 0.5cm thick). Carefully place the tray and rings into the freezer to chill and firm up (alternatively you could make one large cheesecake in a springform tin, or tin with a removable base)
3. For the cheesecake mixture, squeeze the mozzarella well to remove any excess liquid, then add to a food processor and blend until creamy. Add 50g of the icing sugar, along with the lemon juice and vanilla and mix to combine
4. Remove the gelatine from the water and squeeze out any excess liquid. Warm it through with about 2 tablespoons of the cream, until the gelatine has melted into the cream, then combine with the mozzarella
5. Whip the remaining cream to soft peaks, then mix gently into the mozzarella with the remaining 50g of icing sugar
6. Spoon the cheesecake mixture into 7cm dome moulds and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight) to set
7. In a small pan, gently heat the blackberries with the 20g of icing sugar until thickened and the berries have broken down. Chill the sauce until needed
8. Place the extra 100g of mozzarella in the freezer to chill and become firm
9. When ready to serve, transfer a biscuit disc to each serving plate and allow to come to room temperature. Carefully unmould the cheesecake domes and place on top of the biscuit bases, before spooning some of the berry sauce over each plate
10. Grate over a little of the frozen mozzarella onto to each plate and serve

• SEE: More recipes on Decanter.com from Great Italian Chefs

The wine

Impressive, inventive, individual desserts of mozzarella cheesecake by Rosanna Marziale is certainly thinking out-of-the-box and Decanter recommends you do the same with your wine choice.

Lighter sweet wines are always hard to find, but well worth the hunt. Late harvest Riesling and Pinot Gris from the Alsace are an eternal treat and will bring out the berry fruit without swamping the cheese.

Staying within Italy, a Recioto Soave will add wonderful, light orange peel notes but may prove too hard to track down so head towards sweet Moscato d’Asti from Piedmont. A wine that has dipped in popularity in recent times, you can still find serious, superb examples.

Light in alcohol at around 5%, tremendously aromatic from the Muscat grape and with light, dainty bubbles a Moscato d’Asti will lift the berry fruit and cut through the cheese to leave you and your guests extremely satisfied and impressed at the end of your meal. – Harry Fawkes, Decanter.com

Recipe courtesy of chef Rosanna Marziale. Launching soon Great Italian Chefs showcases the best culinary talent that Italy has to offer. Visit Great Italian Chefs for more recipes and features for Italy’s most exciting chefs.