Home-made cheesecake is so superior to supermarket offerings, it's surprising people don't make it more often. There are a few stages to complete but they are straightforward and relatively quick. The results are wonderful -- a cloudlike, fluffy, delicately flavoured body and a crisp cookie-like base. And unlike shop-bought, there's not a bead or leaf of gelatine in sight.
Cheesecake is of course usually high in calories and cholesterol. This Skinnier but still glorious version reduces fat levels without altering taste or texture. Inspired by a recipe from Heston Blumenthal's mother (!), cottage cheese replaces half the cream cheese; strained 0-fat yoghurt, some of the sour cream.
Despite being skinnier than normal, the cheesecake is not low-fat. Nor is it frugal. But, if portions are kept small -- it will serve 16 -- it's more than worth the indulgence. It is a true crowd-pleaser and the Lunch Club members went into raptures when it was served.
Instead of baking the filling on the base, 67 serves the base separately or on the side for guests are worried about gluten or carbs.
One warning: the cheesecake takes nearly the whole day to cool, but the preparation time is not unusually long. It's worth it!! It's fine made the night before.
Serves 12-16
Cost: £5
Preparation:
- Line the base of a 23 cm springform cake tin with a circle of greaseproof paper cut to fit the bottom. Line the sides with strips of greaseproof paper the width of the sides.
- If using a square or rectangular dish, butter it well and put a strip of greaseproof paper the width of the dish down the middle. The strip should be long enough to hang over the edges, acting like handles when removing the cheesecake (after running a knife around the edges).
- Have a tin foil or metal baking tray to cover while baking.
Biscuit layer:
12 digestive biscuits, crushed fine by hand or food processor
60g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
60g walnuts, pecans or almonds, finely chopped
Filling:
300 g 0-fat cottage cheese
300g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 whole eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract or one vanilla pod
170g 0%-yoghurt strained 4 hours, or sour cream
100-130g caster sugar to taste
grated rind of 3 small lemons or 1/2 tsp cinnamon (opt)
Sour cream topping:
250 ml sour cream or double cream mixed with lemon juice
1-2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla or one vanilla pod
METHOD:
Biscuit layer
1. Mix biscuits, salt, nutmeg and nuts. Add melted butter.
2. Spread out on a baking sheet. Bake at 180C/160fan/350f/ gas 3 until crispy but not burnt, 10-15 minutes.
3. The mixture should be loose; if not break up with a fork. Set aside. When cool, cover.
Turn oven down to 150c, 130fan/ 300f/gas2
Filling
1. Drain cottage cheese in a fine-mesh sieve lined with a clean j-cloth (30 or so minutes) until liquid is released; whizz with hand blender or in bowl blender until smooth and lump-free. (Or rub though a sieve).
2. Add cream cheese; whisk till blended.
3. Separate eggs, placing yolks in with cheese mix and whites in a separate large clean bowl.
4. Beat yolks into cheese mixture; add vanilla extract/seeds, yoghurt/sour cream and lemon peel/ cinnamon, if using. Blend.
5. Add sugar to egg whites; whisk to a soft peak (This will take a few minutes; it's ready when the mix rises softly as you lift beaters.) Fold a third of egg white mix into the cheese mix then fold in the rest. (Fold: bring spatula down the centre of the mix and scraping bottom, up again, turning bowl slightly each time. The whites should be mixed in without losing air.)
6. Pour into tin. Cover top with foil or a baking sheet.
7. Bake 1 hour 15 mins. There should be a hint of wobble. Remove foil or baking sheet. Turn off the oven, LEAVING THE CHEESECAKE INSIDE. After one hour, spread with sour cream topping and return to oven without turning it on again, to cool.
Sour cream topping
1. Combine sour cream, sugar, vanilla/vanilla seeds.
2. Cover and refrigerate till needed.
3. After cheesecake has cooled in the oven for an hour, take it out. Carefully pour the topping on cheesecake; spread until top is covered. Return to oven; leave until the cheesecake is cold, probably all day or at least several hours.
4. Serve with biscuit mix on top of the cake or on the side, and an instant berry compote (opt).
Tips:
- The upside-down aspect comes from pre-baking the biscuit layer. It can be served on the side or on top of the baked cheesecake.
- Folding: a spatula goes down the middle of the batter to the bottom, then up as the bowl is continuously turned. The folding motion allows the whites to mix into the batter without losing air.
- Vanilla pods, if you can afford them, take this cheesecake to another level, as do fresh mixed berries or a berry compote.
Copyright: This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment