Greek-style cheesecake with Greek yoghurt and mastic

A light, refreshing and very tasty cheesecake, fully equipped with Greek flavours like the Greek yoghurt and the precious mastic from Chios island! Mastic goes perfectly with various white desserts like panna cotta etc. Try this Greek version of cheesecake and enjoy it with your guests after a nice, rich meal

From the "Chios Mastiha Growers Association"

Ingredients (for  8 people):

1 ¾ cups of crushed cinnamon biscuits (or mastic-flavoured biscuits)

3 tbsp of honey

6 egg whites

500 gr. of cream cheese

1 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 tbsp of vanilla extract

4-6 drops of mastic oil (or 1 tbsp of ground mastic crystal drops)

small pinch of salt

3 cups of Greek yoghurt

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fruit compote or preserves of your choice to garnish on top

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Mix thoroughly the crumbled biscuits with the honey in a bowl until they become like a paste.

Transfer the mixture into a medium size loose-bottomed (or springform) tin and press down firmly to create an even base. Leave the tin in the fridge to chill.

Put the eggs whites, the sugar, the salt, the vanilla and the mastic in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth.

Tip in the yoghurt and continue beating until the mixture is well combined.

Spoon the creamy mixture onto the biscuit base, working from the edges inwards. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with the back of a dessertspoon or a spatula. Put in the oven and bake for about 35-45 minutes. The filling will look loose.

Take the tin out of the oven and leave to rest at room temperature for about 1 hour. Then transfer to the fridge and allow to chill for a few hours before serving.

Just before serving, garnish on top with preserved seasonal fruits.