Everyone who knows me knows that I always order a cheesecake
for dessert when I’m dining out. I have always wanted to try making it at home
and now I can say with some confidence that I know how to make a decent one. I
would still recommend that you buy one off the shelf rather than make one at
home, simply because cream cheese is so expensive in India and It’s not worth it to make
a huge one for a dinner party. But my love for baking and my gluttony for cheesecake
make me want to bake it again and again!
My version involves a shortbread crust to go with the
cheesecake but you could do with a biscuit/cracker base as well. I always use
fresh vanilla scraped off the vanilla bean, but this can most definitely be
substituted with vanilla extract.
This cheesecake is actually a shortcut version of the actual
one; it takes only 20 minutes to bake and a couple of hours to chill before
serving. I used Philadelphia
cream cheese, which is the classic cheese used for cheesecakes. But you could
also try ricotta, mascarpone, curd cheese or cottage cheese. However, if you
want the taste to be spot on, go for Philadelphia
cream cheese. It’s expensive but it makes the cut.
I can think of a few things you should remember while doing
cheesecakes. First, all the ingredients must remain at room temperature. The
cream cheese should be beaten till smooth and creamy without any lumps, and at
a slow speed to reduce the amount of air incorporated into the batter. Cheesecakes
are baked in a slow oven to prevent cracking and are done when the filling is
set but still a little wet and wobbly in the centre. Let cool before covering
and placing in the refrigerator for several hours, or even overnight. I tend to
add a little grated lemon zest to the batter to perk up the flavours a bit, but
then this is just my way of doing it.
This one is a basic cheesecake with vanilla bean flavouring;
so it’s versatile in terms of what you wish to serve it with. Fresh
strawberries, preserved blueberries, chocolate sauce or any other topping that
suits your palate.
Prep time: 15min
Cooking time: 1hr
Serves: 6-8 people
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
Shortbread Crust
130g plain flour
35g icing sugar
1/8 tsp salt
113g cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
Filling
450g of full fat cream cheese, room temperature
130g granulated white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract or ½ vanilla bean scraped
½ tsp grated lemon zest
120ml sour cream, room temperature
Method
Shortbread Crust
Lightly butter a non-stick 8-9 inch tart pan with a removable
bottom. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse till
combined evenly. Add the butter cubes and pulse till the pastry starts to come
together in small bread crumb-like lumps. Place the pastry in the prepared tart
pan and using your fingers tips and knuckles, gently pressing the pastry into
the base and up the sides of the pan. Use the back of a spoon to even out the
surface of the pastry. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork (so it won’t
rise while baking), cover the tart pan with cling film and place the pastry
crust in the freezer for 15-20 min to chill (so it won’t shrink while baking).
Preheat the oven to 220°C. When the pastry is completely
chilled, place the tart pan on a larger baking sheet and bake until the crust
is golden brown, about 13 -15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a
wire rack to cool while you make the filling.
Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C.
Filling
Beat the cream cheese on low speed until creamy and
smooth. Add the sugar and salt and beat until combined. Scrape down the
sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until
incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and sour cream and beat
until incorporated. Transfer the filling to the tart pan.
Bake for about 18 -22 minutes or until firm but the centres
of the cheesecakes still wobble a little. Remove from oven and place on a wire
rack. Let cool and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (a
few hours or even overnight).
Serve with strawberry or raspberry sauce, fresh berries, or
drizzle with melted chocolate. These cheesecakes can be covered and stored in
the refrigerator for several days.
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