Elderflower and lime cheesecake bars
Prep time: 1 hrTotal time: 
Elderflower and lime cheesecake bars
These elegant cheesecake bars combine three contrasting layers – a crunchy ginger nut base, creamy elderflower-infused filling and a zingy jelly topping. They keep well in the fridge for up to four days
Prep time: 1 hrTotal time: 
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Ingredients
For the base
- flavourless oil, to grease
- 75g unsalted butter
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
For the cheesecake filling
- 4 platinum-grade gelatine leaves
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- 5 tbsp elderflower cordial
- 2 x 250g packs mascarpone
- 360g full-fat cream cheese
- 75g caster sugar
For the jelly layer
- juice of 4 limes and zest of 2
- 50g caster sugar
- 4 tbsp elderflower cordial
- 4 platinum-grade gelatine leaves
Step by step
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Grease a loose-bottomed 20cm-square cake tin with oil, then line with two perpendicular strips of baking paper. Melt the butter in a small pan. Whizz the biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor (or put in a plastic food bag and bash with a rolling pin), then tip into a bowl, add the melted butter and stir well to coat all the crumbs. Press into the base of the tin in an even layer and chill.
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For the cheesecake filling, soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the juice of 1 lime (reserve the zest) and 5 tablespoons of elderflower cordial in a small pan until just simmering. Remove from the heat. Squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine, then add to the lime and elderflower mixture. Stir until dissolved and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
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Put the mascarpone, cream cheese, sugar and reserved lime zest in a large bowl and whisk together for 2 minutes using an electric whisk. Strain in the elderflower and gelatine mixture and continue to whisk for a further minute until creamy and smooth. Scrape onto the chilled biscuit base and smooth over the top, making it as level as you can. Chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge until set firm
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For the jelly, reserve the zest of 2 limes for serving. Pour 125ml water into a small pan and add the sugar, lime juice and elderflower cordial. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, set the pan over a mediumlow heat and cook gently, stirring regularly, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is simmering. Remove from the heat. Squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine, then stir into the elderflower syrup until dissolved. Strain into a measuring jug and cool to room temperature. Pour the cooled jelly over the top of the cheesecake. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
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Carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin, peel away the baking paper and sprinkle with the reserved lime zest. Slice into 12 bars to serve.
