SERVES 6
BASE
120g ground almonds
30g buckwheat flour
1 heaped tsp golden caster sugar
1 tsp stevia sweetener (for example Sukrin)
75g lightly salted butter chilled and diced
1 medium egg separated
CHEESECAKE
100g dark chocolate (about 70 per cent cocoa) broken into pieces
100g coconut yoghurt
300g quark
1 tsp golden caster sugar
3 tsp stevia sweetener (for example Sukrin) or to taste
2 gelatine leaves cut into broad strips
ON TOP
200g raspberries
icing sugar for dusting
♥ Have ready a nonstick loose-bottomed cake tin measuring about 23cm x 7cm (or a similar tart tin). Whiz the ground almonds, flour, sugar, stevia and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the egg yolk and give the mixture another whiz, then add just a teaspoon of the egg white (discarding the remainder) to bring the crumbs together into a sticky paste. Press this on to the base of the tart tin, laying a sheet of clingfilm over the top and using your fingers to spread it. Prick with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.
♥ Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 with a baking sheet inside. Remove the clingfilm and place the tart tin on the hot sheet. Bake the base for 14-17 minutes or until lightly coloured, turning it around halfway through to ensure it cooks evenly. Leave to cool.
♥ For the cheesecake, gently melt the chocolate in a large bowl set over a pan containing a little simmering water. Whisk in the coconut yoghurt and then the quark in three goes, then stir in the sugar and add stevia to taste. Place the gelatine in a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over the gelatine and stir to melt. Whisk 3 tablespoons of the chocolate cream into the gelatine, one at a time, then beat this into the remainder until thoroughly blended. Spread this over the base and chill for several hours to set. It will keep well for a couple of days, loosely covered with clingfilm. Just before serving, scatter the raspberries in a single layer over the top (halve a few of them if wished) and lightly dust with icing sugar.
COOK’S NOTE This luxurious dessert has a fraction of the sugar of a more standard version, but you would never know (plus the base is gluten-free).