Neither cheesecake nor Japanese: The viral yogurt and cookie recipe worth a try

The truth is that when I saw the invention I thought: "okay, yogurt with cookies, this can't look like cheesecake, not even close". Then I tried it. And the brain clicks. It's good, better than you'd expect. And yes, even though it's not a cheesecake, the texture of the dessert is intuitive for a very simple reason:

• The cookie, which is a dry and hygroscopic product, absorbs moisture easily.
• Yogurt (especially if it is Greek or Skyr) provides water, protein and acidity.
• If you leave them together long enough, the inevitable happens: moisture migration. The cookie hydrates, softens, and goes from "crunchy" to "creamy" that thickens the whole thing.

It works by pure food science - cookies, despite their low water activity, pick up moisture and their texture changes by water migration during rest. So, that viral "cheesecake" is basically a thick cream + a rehydrated cookie base/body that tastes really good and has a really nice texture.

• 3.5 oz/100 gr plain skyr yoghurt (or Greek yoghurt)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 6 Biscoff speculoos cookies (any cookie will work)

Stir the skyr or Greek yogurt for a few seconds to make it homogeneous. The vanilla is optional, but with ½-1 teaspoon it provides that "tart" aroma; if you don't add any, it works just the same.

Place the cookies vertically (or horizontally depending on your container) and slightly apart so that the yogurt soaks them well on all sides. If you want a creamier texture, dip them all the way in; if you want some contrast, let them show through a little.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours, better overnight. Here everything happens: the cookie hydrates and changes texture. With 2 hours it is already noticeable, but the ideal is 8-12 hours for a more "cheesecake" result.

Take out, let stand 1 minute and eat by spoonfuls. Top with crushed cookie or a light topping (fruit, cocoa, cream) so as not to loosen the texture.

There are two decisions in this recipe: the yogurt and the cookie. If you want a more "cheesecake" texture, the skyr tends to be firmer; Greek yogurt tends to be silkier. You can also use normal yogurt, but it is advisable to drain it for a while in a fine sieve in the refrigerator to remove the whey: this way it does not "drown" the cookie and the whole does not turn into pudding. Once you have chosen the yogurt, you can flavour it with the aroma you like best: coffee, matcha, vanilla? although it is not strictly necessary.

On the other hand, the cookie must be dry and with structure: Biscoff speculoos cookies, digestives or butter cookies work because they hydrate without falling apart. Very fragile or filled cookies can give you a doughy and less clean cream.

And be careful with toppings: what works best is what does not provide water. Crushed cookie, cocoa or citrus zest. The fruit, better when serving, and the speculoos or chocolate cream, in thin strings: if you overdo it with jams or juices, the surface softens and loses grace.

Neither cheesecake

Strictly speaking, and as much as it reminds us of a cheesecake in the mouth, we cannot consider it a cheesecake because? There is no cheese or cream cheese; only yogurt (or skyr) and the effect of the rest doing the job well.

Neither Japanese

Nor is it Japanese in a strict sense: the surname "Japanese" circulates as an appetizing label of the algorithm, a nod to the exotic, rather than as a reliable clue to its origin.

What it is, in fact, is a two-ingredient refrigerator dessert, based on a very simple and very effective idea: let the cookie hydrate and thicken the whole until you get a dense, sweet and surprisingly round cream with the minimum.