2paw: Friday Food: Baked Cheesecake

Friday Food: Baked Cheesecake

Friday, 23 August 2013

I took this cheesecake to The Vet when I went to peek at Peri at 2-15 ish. It's Jamie Oliver's recipe and he makes a cherry compote. I made a raspberry one which is basically the same. I think you could use stone fruit or berries. The compote can have a swig of alcohol, but I used lemon juice. I baked the cheesecake in a disposable rectangular tray lined with baking paper, so the doctors and nurses could throw it out and not have to worry about my plate or tin.

I think the main thing you can do to have a successful cheesecake is have the Philly cheese quite soft. I gently microwaved mine as room temperature would have been far too cold. I test it is soft enough by poking my finger into it, as you will see in the pictures anon. The cream cheese should be full fat, skinny just won't work and cheesecake is a sometimes food.

I also read somewhere that adding a tablespoon or two of almost boiling water to the crushed biscuits and butter will make the base less crumbly and easier to cut. I don't know if it is true or not, but I do it all the time now. This base is briefly bakes, but you could just as easily pop it in the freezer for ten minutes instead.

This is a classic cheesecake, it's rich and firm, and I hope the doctors and nurses enjoyed it.

Classic Baked Cheesecake serves 12-ish

250g Granita biscuits
150g unsalted butter, melted
1-2 tbspn almost boiling water
900g softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese
115g caster sugar
2 1/2 tbspn cornflour
2 eggs
115ml thickened cream
1 tspn vanilla extract or a pod
zest of a large orange or lemon

For the compote

400g raspberries (frozen is fine) or cherries, stoned
2-3 tbspn caster sugar
swig of port/whisky or squeeze of lemon/orange juice

Preheat the oven to 180*C and grease and line a 24cm spring-form tin. I used a standard rectangular BBQ tray.

Granita are excellent for crushing, I crushed them with the bottom of a bottle in batches in ziplock bags. Other people might use a food processor!! Pour in the butter and water and mix to combine.

Press into the tin or tray and smooth with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10 minutes and cool slightly.

Check the Philly cream cheese is soft, and put it into a small mixing bowl with the caster sugar and cornflour. Beat slowly with a mixer at first, and then on medium to high speed until is is smooth and there are no lumps, or undissolved sugar.

With the speed barely on low add the eggs one at a time, pour in the cream and finally add the vanilla and zest. Whip on high briefly. Always remember to use a spoon and mix well to check there isn't a hidden lump of cream cheese in the bottom of the bowl.

Pour over the coooled base and even out. Bake for 40-45 minutes, turning the tin half way through. The recipe says to turn the oven up to 200*C, but when I did this I felt the cheesecake cooked too quickly. Maybe it is because I have a fan-forced oven??

Cool at room temperature and then serve straight away, or refrigerate so it is nice and cold.

To make the compote, put the fruit, sugar and a splash of water into a small saucpan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Keep an eye out just in case it needs some extra water. I stirred my raspberries 3 or 4 times. Add the alcohol or juice and stir well. Serve warm, at room temperature or icy cold.