No-Bake Ricotta Cheesecake with a Shortbread Cookie Crust

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▢ 1 1/4 cup whole milk ricotta
▢ 16 oz. full fat cream cheese softened, (typically, one pack has 8 oz. but read the back of the package)
▢ 3/4 cup powdered sugar
▢ Strawberry slices for topping, optional
▢ Blackberries for topping, optional
▢ Blueberries for topping, optional

▢ 152 g shortbread cookies I used 2 packs of Walker's Pure Butter Shortbread cookies. This yields about 2 cups.
▢ 6 tbsp softened unsalted butter

Pulse the cookies in a food processor or blender until they become crumbs. The consistency should be a slightly coarse fine powder. We don't want big chunks of cookie! If you don't have a food processor or blender, feel free to throw the cookies in a bag and smash them with a hammer until a fine crumb forms.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cookie crumbs with the softened butter and use your (clean, washed) hands to massage the butter into the cookie crumbs until it's all incorporated. The consistency should feel like a buttery kinetic sand.
Pat the cookie mixture into springform or disposable pie pan. Start on the bottom and then flatten the crust out, until you get to the sides of the pan. Press the crust mixture onto the sides, evenly lining the entire pan. If you don't have aa disposable pie pan or springform pan, line a cake pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving a lot of extra foil/paper outside of the pan for an easy removal. If using foil, make sure you don't accidentally fold the foil into the crust!
Cover the crust and set it in the freezer to set while you work on your filling, or keep for a few months in the freezer.

Place the ricotta onto a mesh strainer, cheese cloth or generous amount of paper towels. Drain any excess water from the ricotta and then place the strained ricotta in a bowl.
Add cream cheese and powdered sugar to the ricotta and mix on medium high speed until fully combined. If you don't have an electric mixer, you can use a spoon to mix everything together. Just make sure the cream cheese is adequately softened and the powdered sugar is sifted with a whisk, so there are clumps.
Mix the ricotta mixture for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the mixture in the center, spreading it around and filling the crust until the cheesecake is slightly below the top edge of the crust. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and allow the cheesecake to set for at least 3-4 hours in the fridge. I prefer to let t s it overnight.
Once the cheesecake has set, top with berries. There's really no method to the madness, just throw them on there however you think is prettiest! Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze any leftovers for three more weeks.