Cheesecake

Cheesecake, Cheesecake, Cheesecake……who doesn’t love Cheesecake!!!

I love it, and this recipe I have tried a few times, is great.

There are tons of different ways to make cheesecake but if you want a REAL cheesecake, don’t go for the quick and easy recipes, all the effort is worth it in the end.

INGREDIENTS

200g digestive biscuits / tennis biscuits

70g butter, melted

500g creamed cottage cheese

1 tin condensed milk

30ml lemon juice (fresh is always better)

50ml castor sugar

25ml gelatine

80ml milk, warmed

250ml cream, whipped

Choice of Topping: 

–        125g fresh or frozen berries (thawed)

Or

–        125g Granadilla Pulp

Or

–        125g Passion Fruit Pulp

METHOD

1.  Crush the biscuits and mix with the melted butter.  Press into the base of a greased and lined 22cm spring-form tin.  Refrigerate while preparing the rest.

***Tip:  If you want a thick biscuit base use 400g of Digestive / Tennis Biscuits & 140g of melted Butter***

***Tip:  Cut out a circle in baking wax paper from the base of your tin.  Place this in the bottom of your tin before you press the biscuit base in, this will make it easier to remove from the baking tin when set***

2.  Beat the creamed cottage cheese until smooth.  Stir in the condensed milk gradually then stir in the lemon juice.

 

 

 

3.  Choice of Topping:

–        Blend the berries with a stick blender.  Stir in the castor sugar.  Set aside.

Or

Granadilla Topping

–        Pour the Granadilla Pulp into a bowl.  Stir in the castor sugar.  Set aside.

Or

–        Pour the Passion Fruit Pulp into a bowl.  Stir in the castor sugar.  Set aside.

4.  Put the gelatine into a measuring jug with 60ml cold water.  Leave to stand for a few minutes then microwave for two minutes and stir until dissolved.  Pour two-thirds (40ml) of the gelatine mixture into a bowl and stir in the warm milk.  Stir into the cottage cheese mixture.

***Tip:  when working with gelatine, make sure your mixture does not have strings in them***

Poured into baking tin ontop of biscuit base

5.  Fold in the whipped cream and then pour the mixture into the prepared tin

6.  Spoon some of the blended berry mixture/granadilla pulp/passion fruit pulp into the remaining gelatine mixture.  Stir well, and then mix with the remaining berry mixture/granadilla pulp/passion fruit pulp.

7.  Put spoonfuls on top of the cheesecake mixture.  Use a blunt knife to swirl the two together.

***Tip:  as you can see on my cheesecake I choose to put a layer on top instead of swirling***

Granadilla Topping Placed & ready to chill

***Tip:  I have done the swirling before and it looks divine when you cut into it***

8.  Refrigerate for three to four hours, or until set.

***Tip:  be careful when removing your cheesecake from your spring-form tin.  My suggestion would be to run hot water down the outside of the tin for a bit, this will allow the cheesecake to loosen from the sides of your spring-form tin easier.  Be careful not to get water on the top of your cheesecake.  Once you have displayed your cheesecake on a nice cake plate put it back in the fridge for a little bit longer***