A lighter blueberry & white chocolate cheesecake in a glass
on Jul 07, 2014, Updated Nov 23, 2022
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Since arriving here in Australia a few weeks ago, one thing has been a regular feature of my evenings – the TV cooking competition Masterchef. It’s on six days a week and sees contestants chopping and stirring and icing and grilling and sweating and shaking and crying their way through custards and soufflés and fillets of fish and ribs and everything in between.
Now maybe you’ve seen the show. But if not, let me tell you, these contestants are beyond talented, night after night creating what can only be described as culinary masterpieces. There have been chocolate chili lava cakes, fish tostaditas served in the shape of a swan and an amazing sculpture-like ‘croquembouche’ dessert. It isn’t all so pretty, though. One girl literally started crying and shaking when she was presented with an ugly long black eel in a box for a mystery ingredient challenge. It looked just like a snake, which the poor girl happens to have a phobia of. She is also a vegetarian, and yet she still managed to create an amazing smoked eel salad while choking back her tears.
I’m always blown away by what incredible cooks all of the contestants are, but I also find myself thinking how on earth they can put themselves through something like this. Apparently, the experience is so intense that there’s a psychologist to help the contestants cope with it all. It makes me feel nervous just thinking about being on such a show.
So, sorry to disappoint you, readers, but I am not going to be appearing on Masterchef Australia or Masterchef UK or Masterchef any other country any time soon. Or ever. Not that I would have the talent to. Nope. I much prefer being a humble food blogger hiding anonymously in my kitchen and behind my computer screen. I can also experiment to my heart’s content and then post a recipe in my own time when I feel it’s ready to be presented to the world (or as ready as it’s ever going to be).
Another reason that I wouldn’t like to be on Masterchef is all that fancy food. I love to eat it, but as you know by now if you’re a regular reader here, I don’t do ‘difficult’. The kind of recipes I enjoy creating the most are the ones that end up looking and tasting pretty posh even though they have a tiny ingredients and cooking steps list. Such as … you know what’s coming next … these cute little blueberry & white chocolate cheesecakes. As you probably already gathered from the post title, they are a little lighter than a regular cheesecake thanks to using Greek yoghurt instead of cream and light cream cheese. Oh, and they are served in a glass.
I decided not to call these ‘deconstructed cheesecakes’ for fear of coming across all Masterchef when I just told you how much that really isn’t ‘me’. But that’s exactly what they are, really. They are just tablespoons of crumbled ginger cookies, a simple cheesecake of cream cheese, Greek yoghurt and white chocolate and blueberries roughly layered up in a glass. With a little extra grated white chocolate for good measure. I also added a little sprinkle of ground ginger here and there.
This was just as tasty as a regular cheesecake but with far less fuss. There was no base to construct and no baking. This is also the ideal kind of dessert to make ahead and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
I’m sure this dessert would never be Masterchef worthy, but I can’t deny that it still tasted great.
Soooo … do you have Masterchef in your country, and if so do you like watching it? Would you like to be a contestant on this show or would you run a mile at the mere suggestion like I would?
A lighter blueberry & white chocolate cheesecake in a glass
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 ounces ginger cookies, I used ‘ginger nuts’ which are perfect, but use any other type of cookie if you can’t find these
- 7 ounces light cream cheese
- 2/3 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- 7 ounces good quality white chocolate plus a little extra for grating
- 9 ounces blueberries
- ground ginger, optional
Instructions
- Crush the cookies either in a food processor (or by putting them in a plastic bag and hitting them with a rolling pin like I did!)
- Using a handheld mixer
(or in a food processor), whisk the cream cheese, yoghurt and vanilla together. - Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water or in a microwave in 30-second bursts. Let it cool slightly then whisk it into the cream cheese & yoghurt mixture until smooth.
- Put about a tablespoon of cookie crumbs in the bottom of a glass or sundae bowl, then top with a tablespoon of cheesecake, a tablespoon of blueberries and a light sprinkle of ginger and grated white chocolate. Add a second layer of each component, finishing with blueberries, more ginger and more grated white chocolate.
- Chill until ready to serve.
(or in a food processor), whisk the cream cheese, yoghurt and vanilla together.Nutrition
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I ABSOLUTELY loveeee watching Masterchef Australia!!!! It is very very popular here in India, in fact, a lot more popular than our own version of Masterchef! I enjoy watching the Australian one a lot more because the Indian version is over-dramatized and often accompanied with toooo much of song and dance, which, quite frankly, is not required on a cooking show! The latest season of Masterchef Australia is going to be aired towards the end of July, so I CANNNNNOT WAIT! I agree with you 101 %. Hassle free cooking and baking is the best kind to enjoy with your friends and family over random conversations, just like this absolutely FANTASTIC cheesecake! I loveeeee white chocolate and combining it with ginger and blueberries sounds AWESOMEEEEE!!!
Thanks, Samina! I’m finding Masterchef really addictive. At first I didn’t like it as much as the UK version, but now I think I like it better. Just the right amount of drama 😉
So happy you like the cheesecakes. For me, they’re definitely a keeper!
Skinny cheesecake?!! I am in!!
Yay!!!!
Wow that is quite reaction. I’m not fond of snakes but perhaps the pressure of being on tv is too much. That alone would freak me out! Lovely cheesecake Helen and I always appreciate a lighter dessert! 😀
Totally agreed … I would hate to be on TV, although I gather you’ve already done that! 🙂
it looks delicious!
Thank you, Dina!
No Masterchef here, but I do watch it. I am sooo not cut out for those, I like to take my time and test and taste! These cheesecake glasses look fab!
Thanks, Jessica! They are cute glasses, aren’t they? Unfortunately, they belong to my mother-in-law, but at least I can borrow them!
I need to start watching these cooking competition shows. I haven’t seen any but it sounds intense and they make good things. Love this white chocolate cheese cake!! So so simple and good!!
You can definitely get ideas from them, but yes, it’s as intense as watching a good thriller sometimes!
So happy you like the cheesecake! 🙂
This sounds amazing, especially for my mother who is a white chocolate fanatic! I also have dishes just like yours that I’ve been puzzling over how to use…. definitely on these cakes!
Oh yes, give them a try, Medha. You could also try some ‘deconstructed’ banoffee pie, or anything else with a biscuit crust. 🙂
I love watching cooking competition shows like that! It’s so inspiring! They’ll be given their ingredients, and I love to pause the show and try and think of what I would make. They usually think of something better.
This white chocolate cheesecake sounds delicious!
That’s a great game – pausing the show and joining in! Maybe next time you should pause for longer and pop to the shops to get the ingredients and join in for real … haha! 🙂
A psychologist to help the contestants cope?? Holy moly it must be intense! Not my cup of tea for sure 🙂
These cheesecakes sound awesome – I love how you put it all together. I’m not the biggest fan of making regular cheesecakes so these are totally my style!
It’s really intense sometimes … I’d definitely need that psychologist! Thanks for the compliments on the cheesecake. I don’t mind making no-bake cheesecakes because they’re easier than baked ones, but I have to say this was even easier. Glad you them them!
Hats-off to the talent and spontaneity of the masterchef contestants.. they are simply amazing… Now back to these wonderful cheesecake.. absolutely delicious.. no hassle dessert.. I have never tried white chocolate and blueberry combination.. cant wait to try these… 😀
Yeah, they are tough cookies alright! So glad you like the cheesecakes. Do try the blueberry and white choc combo – it’s great!