Boredom Baking Experiments – Rustic Raspberry Cheesecake

This week, I’ve somehow managed to get so ahead of schedule with my book reviews that I found myself with plenty of extra time (even after getting through all the typical housewife chores for the day – like making the bed and prepping dinner in my trusty crockpot). So naturally, I turned to another beloved habit of mine: baking.

I took a look at what I had lying around the kitchen, because the best things I bake are always the ones I come up with on a whim. I knew I wanted to do something with the raspberries in the fridge, and I’ve also been trying to get in a bit more protein. When I saw the cottage cheese sitting on the same shelf (I usually have a little with blueberries for breakfast), I thought: I’ve never attempted cheesecake.

So here’s the recipe I came up with:

Rustic Raspberry Cheesecake (for 2, or 1 if you’re ambitious)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup raspberries
  
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 tablespoon honey
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• Tiny pinch of salt
  

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and lightly grease a small baking dish. I used a cute mini skillet that once held a candle (the wax has since been cleaned off).
   
2. In a small bowl, mash the raspberries with a spoon.
   
3. In another bowl, mash the cottage cheese as smooth as you can get it. I started with a fork but then figured out a spoon is better.
   
4. Soften your cream cheese in the microwave (mine took about 30 seconds).
   
5. Stir the cream cheese until it’s as smooth as possible.
   
6. Add the cream cheese to the cottage cheese, along with the egg, honey, vanilla, and salt. Mix until combined.
   
7. Pour the mixture into your greased dish, then add your raspberry mash. It’ll sink and be barely visible, and that’s okay. Just try to distribute it as evenly as you can.
   
8. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the center is just set. It will be a little jiggly in the middle, it can be deceptive. Chilling in the fridge will solidify that. The key is the sides won’t jiggle.
   
9. Chill in the fridge for about 3 hours to let it fully set.
   

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When this came out of the oven, it smelled amazing. Not overpowering, just the right amount of sweet. It should sit for at least 2 hours in the fridge, but letting it chill for 3 really helped it set and hold its shape.

I ended up timing everything perfectly – dinner was ready right when Jakob got home, and the cheesecake finished its 3 hours in the fridge just as we were wrapping up that up.

We love homemade whipped cream in the Wilde household (it’s so much thicker and better than the store-bought spray cans), and Jakob always makes it from scratch. It only takes a few minutes, so he whipped up a batch while I pulled out the cheesecake and I added a little dollop on top.

Then of course, Jakob decided a dollop wasn’t enough and added a little more.

Before taking the first bite, I had to get a picture of it on the fork. I was especially curious about how the structure would turn out, since I skipped the blender and mashed the cottage cheese by hand to save on dirtying more dishes. Honestly, that worked out perfectly and was totally worth it. You could blend it if you want a smoother cheesecake, but this version had more of that authentic, homemade feel.

Just look at the texture – it wasn’t too crumbly and actually held together really well, especially for a baking experiment and my first attempt at cheesecake.

The flavor was amazing: creamy, with the honey and vanilla adding a lot of depth. The baked-in fruit gave it such a cozy vibe. We ate the whole thing while watching the new episode of SNL hosted by Harry Styles, and it was the perfect little dessert for two on the couch at the end of the day.

I’ll definitely be making this again, and I might even play around with different flavors in the future. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon in the kitchen, and the payoff was completely worth it.