You are going to like this recipe.. If you love cheesecake, prepare to have a new favourite. The full bodied sweetness of these little berries combined with the aroma and perfume of lavender leads to a unique and exciting culinary experience. This is the simplest form of cheesecake so no mucking around, just a crushed biscuit base, mascarpone and a bilberry compote, you ready?
Bilberry, Honey and Lavender.. Oh my.
The lavender flower, when used sparingly, adds a subtle floral aroma and flavour to the creamy cheesecake. It imparts a delicate and soothing note that complements the richness of the cheesecake filling.
Bilberries, with their slightly tart and tangy taste, bring a fruit and acidity to the cheesecake. They provide a pleasant contrast to the creaminess of the dessert, adding depth and complexity to each bite.
The touch of honey acts as a natural sweetener, enhancing the overall flavour profile. It helps to balance the tartness of the bilberries while adding a hint of richness and depth to the cheesecake.
When combined, these three ingredients create a mind-blowing blend of flavours. The floral notes from the lavender, the tanginess of the bilberries, and the sweetness of honey work together so well!
Make swift work of picking berries with this selection of fantastic bilberry rakes and combs.
Lavender and Bilberry Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients:
25g butter
1 Tbsp light muscovado sugar
125g digestive biscuits
250g mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp lavender sugar (if you didn’t make this during edible wild flowers week I will show you a quick version below)
Tbsp honey (get a nice local one)
100g bilberries
1 Tsp lavender flowers
1 Tbsp caster sugar
Melt the butter and muscovado sugar together. Stir in the biscuit crumbs and mix well. Press evenly into the base of a 15cm loose bottomed cake tin. Chill.
Beat together the cream cheese, honey and lavender sugar. Spoon out onto the biscuit base and level. Chill.
Read more on edible flowers. Check out our ultimate guide to Edible Wild and Garden Flowers.
Quick Lavender Sugar Recipe
If you haven’t got lavender sugar get some fresh or dried lavender flowers and the same amount of sugar required for the recipe. Place some lavender in a mortar and pestle with a small amount of the sugar and repeat until all of the lavender is gone. This simplistic version grinds the lavender oils out quickly and has the same effect but you should make lavender sugar as a backup for when the plant isn’t in flower.
Wash and drain the bilberries. Put in a small covered pan with the lavender flowers and caster sugar. Cook over a low heat until the berries pop. Take off the lid and turn up the heat to reduce until thick.
Visit our shop and grow your own Bilberries.
Now allow to cool completely then spread over the mascarpone cheese base and place back in the fridge until ready.
Sweet delicious bilberries, the perfume of lavender, the cleansing creaminess of honey mascarpone and the crunch of the digestive base… Need I say more.
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