I love the texture of a baked cheesecake, smooth and creamy, with a delicious egg custard aftertaste. Using Greek yoghurt or sour cream adds a sharpness perfectly complimented with lots of Seville orange zest and juice. Treat this recipe a baked custard. Remove it from the oven when it is still wobbly and very gently baked. The texture will be devine.
Ingredients:
You will need a 23cm/ 9” loose based baking tin liberally buttered
Pre-heat oven Gas 4 / 180 C
For the biscuit base:
40g unsalted butter
25Og digestive or any old broken biscuits
Melt the butter.
Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin to make crumbs.
Mix with the butter and spread evenly on the baking tin.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes.
Remove and leave to cool.
For the filling:
300g full fat cheese
300g Greek Yoghurt or sour cream
3-4 cardamom pods crushed
2 -3 drops vanilla extract
4 large free- range eggs, separated
150g caster sugar
Zest and juice of 2 Seville oranges
2 teaspoons cornflour
Method:
Remove all the ingredients form the fridge at least half an hour before starting to cook.
Add the crushed cardamom pods and vanilla extract to the cream to infuse the flavours.
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until smooth and creamy.
Remove the cardamom pods from the yoghurt (or sour cream) and with a hand whisk gently
combine with the cream cheese.
Fold into the egg yolk mixture.
Add the zest and the juice.
Sieve in the cornflour and thoroughly mix it through.
Beat the egg whites separately, just until they start to fluff up and fold into the mixture.
Pour over the crisp biscuit base in the baking tin.
Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 45 minutes to an hour until the cheesecake is just set but still has a wobbly egg custard consistency.
Remove from the oven and leave to completely set.
Once cooled, cover with greaseproof paper and store in the fridge, 24 hours if possible.
When ready to serve remove from the fridge.
Use a spatula dipped in warm water to loosen the sides of the cheesecake and then open
the spring to release the cake.
Decorate with candied orange peel and serve with a spoonful of soured cream and a drizzle of Seville orange marmalade.
Mary Contini OBE is a writer and Director of Valvona & Crolla, Edinburgh, UK’s original Italian delicatessen and Caffè Bar. She is doing a series of cookery demos and wine tastings. For further information:
www.valvonacrolla.com
Twitter @valvonacrolla
Instagram @valvonacrolla
Facebook @valvona.crolla
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