Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
Holidays and special occasions are almost always centred around food – dishes that are more of a spectacle, and that we wouldn’t put the effort into making on an average day.
This cheesecake, which has been making the rounds on social media, is one such recipe. Named for its resemblance to the Italian mosaic material made from stones or fragments of glass or marble, the terrazzo cheesecake features a rainbow of gelatin bits suspended in whipped cream, sugar and cheese for a spectacular no-bake dessert that emerges from the pan already decorated.
Any no-bake cheesecake filling will work; make sure you use a springform pan or a cake pan with a removable bottom so it’s easy to retrieve. For the cheesecake pictured, I bought a box of pineapple-flavoured gelatin – the palest yellow I could find – dissolved it, divided the hot liquid into separate containers, and added food colouring to make a range of reds, oranges and shades of blue-green. You could, of course, make your own from scratch, using any kind of juice or other liquid and plain gelatin to set it.
For a savoury version, omit the sugar, add garlic and herbs to the whipped cheese, and make savoury red jelly with tomato juice, and green by pouring boiling water over a bunch of fresh basil, letting it steep, blending and straining and then setting it with plain gelatin. (One packet sets about 2 cups of liquid.) For the crust, use cracker or pretzel crumbs mixed with melted butter.
Terrazzo Cheesecake
If you like, use slightly less water when preparing your Jell-O for a slightly firmer texture that won’t break apart when you stir it into the cheesecake filling.
Crust:
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, or crushed Digestives or Biscoff
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling:
- 2 packages Jell-O in contrasting colours
- Food colouring (optional)
- 2 8 oz (250 g) packages cream cheese, or 500 g mascarpone
- 3/4 cup sugar
- Grated lemon zest and/or juice of half a lemon
- 1 cup whipping (32 per cent to 35 per cent) cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 pkg plain gelatin or 1 tsp agar agar powder
Get the coloured gelatin started first – prepare the Jell-O according to the package directions. Once the mix has dissolved, divide it between multiple containers and add a few drops of different food colouring to each to make a variety of colours and shades. Refrigerate until firm.
To make the crust, combine the crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Put a circle of parchment into the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan, or a cake pan with a removable bottom. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. (No need to bake it.)
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy and smooth. Beat in the juice of half a lemon and/or a bit of grated zest for flavour, if you like. Whip the cream with the vanilla until stiff peaks form.
In a small dish, dissolve the plain gelatin (or agar agar) in a few tablespoons of boiling water, beat it into the cream cheese, and then gently fold in the whipped cream.
Cut the set Jell-O into pieces a range of sizes (no larger than one inch), and gently fold into the cheese mixture. Pour over the crust, smooth the top and chill for several hours, until firm.
To serve, run a thin knife around the edge and remove the pan ring.
Makes one cake, serves about 12.
