Instant Cheesecake

Instant cheesecake is a wink at the classic, not a stand-in for it. A chocolate digestive biscuit plays the cookie crust role, a generous swipe of cold cream cheese does the filling, and a halved strawberry crowns the whole thing in one tidy bite.

This is afternoon-tea sleight of hand: the chocolate-coated biscuit gives you that bittersweet snap against the cool tang of the cheese, and the strawberry brings just enough fruit acid to keep it from feeling heavy. Use a soft, spreadable cream cheese straight from the fridge and pile it on with a butter knife so it mounds rather than smears flat. It works as a kid-friendly snack, a no-bake party tray when you scale it up by the dozen, or a stealth dessert when you’ve forgotten company is coming and you only have ten minutes.

Variations

• Swap the strawberry for a raspberry, blueberry cluster, or a thin slice of banana and a dusting of cinnamon.
• Whip the cream cheese with a splash of vanilla and a teaspoon of icing sugar for something closer to a real cheesecake filling.
• Use a graham cracker or shortbread biscuit if you want the flavor to lean classic instead of chocolatey.