A lighter blueberry & white chocolate cheesecake in a glass
on Jul 07, 2014, Updated Nov 23, 2022
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
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
I hope you enjoyed this post! You can subscribe to receive posts directly to your inbox by entering your email address in the box at the bottom of this page or at the top of the sidebar on the right.
You can also find more from Scrummy Lane on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram and follow me on Bloglovin! Thanks so much for reading!
*This post contains affiliate links which means that if you click on a link and make a purchase I get a small percentage of the amount you spend. At no extra cost to you, of course! Thank you!*
How intense is Masterchef! Sometimes I fantasize about how fun it would be to try out and be a contestant but then I remember it looks like the most stressful, draining experience of their lives! These cheesecakes look so good. Especially that grated white chocolate…yuum!!
yup! I am full of admiration for those people. So happy that you like the cheesecakes, Lilli. I really enjoyed making (and eating!) them.
I don’t think I would be able to handle the stress and pressure. It would take away the joy of cooking for me! I always love seeing what they come up with though; they are truly gifted. And, hey, a free psychologist! 😉
Mmm white chocolate was made for fruit. It balances out the sweetness and is gorgeous. Glass desserts are so fun for presentation and they are a lot easier to make!
A free psychologist for bloggers would come in handy sometimes as well, wouldn’t it? Now there’s an idea … 😉
Glad you approve of the dessert, Mary Frances. I agree that the desserts in glasses idea is a keeper!
I think I may be addicted to Masterchef! These look delicious – I swear things taste better in cute little jars!
There’s no ‘think’ with me … I definitely am addicted!
Totally agree that things look more impressive in glassware. It’s a cheap trick but hey, if it works … 😉
I am going to tr these like you would not believe. You have all my favourite ingredients in this.
Happy to hear it, Bintu! 🙂
Alright, I finally got the chance to answer your comment on my blog and come and see why I would love yours! Ahaha Helen, this is hilarious! I actually don’t follow ANY cooking show lol!
The show I applied for is Pressure Cooker with Jamie Oliver, from what I gathered it would be home cook teamed up with a celebrity chef! Stay tune 🙂
On another note, I love those individual cheesecake! I might do it when my mum will visit from France with some strawberries! I ll let you know if I do!
That sounds so exciting, Melanie! Please do let us all know how your application goes. I love Jamie Oliver and actually he is one chef that I don’t think I’d be nervous around. I haven’t heard of that new show – sounds interesting!
So happy you like the cheesecake – I think it would work just as well with strawberries!
Those shows stress me out! And I seriously can’t stand Gordon Ramsey, he’s just mean. But I am a huuuuge top chef fan. Gorgeous looking cheesecakes, love that they’re lightened up!
Ahhh, is Gordon Ramsey a judge on the US Masterchef? I actually don’t mind him. His bark is definitely worse than his bite. He’s a big softy at heart … haha! Thanks for ‘liking’ my cheesecakes. I love cheesecakes, and would feel OK about having these a bit more often. 😉
It looks pretty and so delicious.
Thank you so much, Pam! 🙂
I am so loving the ground ginger in this easy peasy cheesecake!
I think this dessert is most definitely master chef worthy! I haven’t watched it yet, but I have heard about it – and I would rather run a mile, heck I would rather run five miles than be on that show!
I would rather run a hundred miles, Shashi! Hahaha! Thanks for the compliment on these cheesecakes, though. I think the Masterchef judges would slate them for being too easy, but that’s OK. 😉
Oh I would be entirely too stressed out to be on a show like that too, Helen! I’ll take wearing sweatpants in the comfort of my own kitchen any day haha. I’d also take a glass or two of these lighter cheesecakes. I love the addition of ginger cookie crumbs (one of my favorite cookies!) and blueberries. I just happen to have picked up a big carton at the store yesterday with no recipe in mind. I think I’ve found it! 🙂
Oh, how exciting! I hope you do get around to making these, Alyssa. I look such a mess when I’m running around cooking and photographing, anyway … I would scare all the viewers if I was on Masterchef! 😉
How gorgeous are these! My family would love them. Nothing like fresh berries and cheesecake!
Aw, thanks, Jessica! Yup, I guess you can’t really go wrong with cheesecake and berries! So glad you like them! 🙂