SHAVUOT CHEESECAKES TO SAVOUR
By: Sharon Lurie
A while back, I was invited by Michael Leventhal of Greenhill Books to contribute one of my favourite cheesecake recipes to The Ultimate Cheesecake Cookbook, a special project aimed at raising funds for a Jewish cancer charity. Supporting this cause was especially close to my heart, as cancer has deeply touched my own family, with several loved ones having sadly succumbed to the disease. Like so many others who contributed, including Yotam Ottolenghi, Ainsley Harriott, Michel Roux, Nigel Slater, Adeena Sussman, Claudia Roden, and Joan Nathan, I was honoured to lend my support to such an important and meaningful initiative. Being the Shavuot edition, I share mine and a few other cheesecake recipes from around the world. So, preheat your oven, crush those biscuits, and let the aroma of baking transport you from your mother’s kitchen to yours, remembering that every imperfect swirl and every crack is just another layer in a rich endless story.
BOBBA SHAR’S CHEESECAKE WITH CARAMEL APPLES AND STREUSEL TOPPING
Everybody has their ‘best cheesecake recipe ever’. Whether you’re adding a couple of extras such as apples, strawberries, or chocolate to a recipe, the basic ingredients have to be there. After experimenting with cheesecake recipes for many years, I still hold onto my mother’s basic recipe as ‘The Best’, and to that I’ve added a couple of twists here and there for a decadent look and taste. Here’s her basic recipe with the addition of apples and a streusel topping, or if you’re in the mood for something really decadent, try the optional decorative topping.
SERVES 8
INGREDIENTS
For the base:
1 box Nuttikrust biscuits or 200g of your favourite tea biscuits
150g (1 stick + 3 Tbls) butter, melted
For the filling
3 extra large eggs
150g (¾ cup) sugar
3 x 250g tubs full-fat cream cheese
125ml (½ cup) sour cream
40g (⅓ cup) plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 x 495g can (4 cups) pie apples
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbls brown sugar
For the streusel topping
200g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
80g (½ cup) plain flour
Pinch of salt
3 Tbls butter
1 Tbls ground cinnamon
METHOD
Crush the biscuits in a food processor (or with a rolling pin), then mix with the melted butter until smooth. Line the base of a springform cake tin with the mixture and refrigerate while preparing the filling and topping. In the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until light and creamy. Reduce the speed and slowly add cream cheese, sour cream, flour, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until well blended. Do not overbeat as it may cause the top to crack. Pour half of the mixture over the cold biscuit base. Delicately place the pie apples over the cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with the cinnamon and brown sugar. Cover the apples with the remaining cream cheese mixture. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine the streusel topping ingredients, then crumble the mixture with the tips of your fingers. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the unbaked cheesecake. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for another 15 minutes. Switch the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for a further 15 minutes. If necessary, place a sheet of aluminium foil on the cheesecake after the first 20 minutes – if the streusel is golden-brown already – but continue to bake at the lower heat as the cheesecake still has to cook through the middle. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely in the tin. Before removing from the tin, run a knife between the outer edge of the cake and the inside of the tin. Position the cake on a serving dish and carefully release the spring.
If you’re opting for something more decadent, fry the Granny Smith apple in the butter and syrup until soft and the liquid has turned to caramel. Just before serving the cake, pour the mixture over the top.
For the decorative topping (optional):
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled,
cored and very thinly sliced
1 Tbl butter
2 Tbls syrup
3 Tbls fresh cream
BOBBA SHAR’S ORIGINAL, CREAMY BAKED CHEESECAKE
This is definitely one of my favourites!
1 box Nuttikrust or Tennis biscuits, finely crushed
125g butter melted
3 ex large eggs
¾ cup sugar
3 x 250g full fat cream cheese
250g sour cream
2 Tbls custard powder (sifted)
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 Tbl lemon juice
Mix crushed biscuits with melted butter. Freeze the base for 30 minutes while you make up the filling. Beat eggs and sugar together until light and creamy. Add cream cheese and sour cream and continue to mix. Add custard powder, vanilla essence, and lemon juice. Bake for 25 minutes at 170°C. Turn the oven off and allow to continue cooking for 15 minutes. I love my cheesecake creamy and would rather err on the side of underdone as it will firm up once refrigerated. There is nothing worse than a dry, grainy, eggy tasting overcooked cheesecake.
BOBBA SHAR’S NO BAKE, WHITE CHOCOLATE, FRIDGE CHEESECAKE
The secret’s out! Enjoy!
If you have time, there’s nothing smoother, tastier, and creamier than a white chocolate fridge cheesecake. Only difference is that it needs an overnight chill in the fridge.
Base:
1 box Nuttikrust or Tennis biscuits, finely crushed
125g butter, melted
Mix biscuits together with melted butter and press into a springform tin or baking dish and place in freezer until filling is made.
200g white chocolate broken into pieces.
200g butter (room temperature) I have tried this recipe with cream and other dairy products before, however, real butter is definitely the winner for this cheesecake recipe. Together with the white chocolate, the butter helps to firm up the cheesecake once refrigerated.
½ cup caster sugar
1 x-large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 x 250g full fat, cream cheese
1 x 250g crème fresh
Put the chocolate pieces into a bowl and either melt in 30 second increments or melt in a saucepan over boiling water. Beat the butter, sugar and eggs on high for 8 to 10 minutes. In a second bowl beat the cream cheese and crème fresh until smooth and well incorporated. Add the butter and sugar to the cream cheese mixture and finally stir in the melted chocolate, mixing well. Remove base from Freezer and pour batter into base. Refrigerate overnight. This can be decorated with strawberries or white chocolate.
TIP: The better the chocolate, the better the cake!
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CHEESECAKE
When strawberries are in season (August – December in South Africa) I really go to town. Strawberries and cream, pavlovas, salads with strawberries, homemade strawberry jam, and of course strawberry cheesecake.
200–250g shortbread biscuits either Eet-sum-more, Walkers, or your favourite shortbread biscuits.
½ cup melted butter
500g + 250g strawberries (for decorating)
½ cup sugar
1 pkt strawberry jelly
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
3 x 250g full fat cream cheese
250ml (1 cup) cream
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
2 Tbls flour
Crush biscuits in a food processor. Add butter so that it resembles wet sand. Remove leaves from strawberries, cut in half and boil with half a cup of sugar and 1 packet jelly dissolved in one cup boiling water. Keep stirring until sugar melts completely and strawberries are soft and able to be mashed. Set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 170°C. Meanwhile, press biscuit mixture into a springform tin (20 – 22cm in diameter) then place in freezer while you make up cream cheese filling. Beat sugar and eggs until light and creamy. Add cream cheese, cream, vanilla, salt, and flour continue to beat until mixed together and smooth. Now let’s start building the cake. Remove the biscuit base from the freezer and place half the cream cheese mixture over the base. Place half the cold strawberry mixture over the cream cheese mix and cover with the remaining cream cheese. Bake for 30 mins at 170°C. Switch oven off and leave in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before spreading the other half of the strawberries over the cheesecake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. When the cake is cool, remove from spring form tin and decorate with 250g freshly sliced strawberries.
DAVID LEBOVITZ’S CHEESECAKE BROWNIES
INGREDIENTS
For the brownies
85g (6 Tbls) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
115g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
130g (⅔ cup) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
70g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
1 Tbl unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch process
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
80g (½ cup) chocolate chips
For the cheesecake topping
225g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
75g (generous ⅓ cup) sugar
⅛ tsp vanilla extract
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 23cm or 20cm square cake tin with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Mist with non-stick spray or grease lightly. To make the brownie batter, melt the butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over a low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and beat in the sugar, then the eggs. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared cake tin. For the cheesecake topping, in a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a dull knife or spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter. Rap the cake tin on a countertop a few times to let the batter and swirl settle together. Bake until the batter in the centre of the cake tin feels just set, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool, then lift the brownies out holding the foil and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares.
COOK’S TIP:
These cheesecake brownies will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze well for up to two months. I recommend freezing them individually so you can remove them one at a time.
SILVIA NACAMULLI’S TIRAMISU
Does tiramisu count as a cheesecake? It’s debatable but since it is one of my signature dishes (and one of my publisher’s favourites), and it uses a whole tub of mascarpone cheese it seems reasonable to include! There is no alcohol in my recipe, however, should you prefer it with alcohol, then add 2–3 tablespoons of Marsala, rum, or sherry (or other alcohol of your choice) to the coffee before dipping the biscuits in (and/or add it to the mascarpone mixture). Good-quality ingredients are key here, so I recommend using Italian Savoiardi, mascarpone cheese, and espresso coffee, and make sure the eggs are very fresh as otherwise it won’t hold firm and the cheese mixture becomes runny.
SERVES 6–8
INGREDIENTS:
About 500ml (generous 2 cups) espresso coffee or strong black coffee
2–3 Tbls milk
5 large eggs
5 Tbls caster or granulated sugar
Pinch of sea salt
500g (2 cups) mascarpone cheese
300g savoiardi biscuit (ladies’ fingers or sponge fingers)
Cocoa powder, to dust
COOK’S TIPS:
Don’t soak the finger biscuits for too long, as they need to be soft on the outside but still a little dry inside.
This lasts up to 3 days, covered, in the fridge, and its flavour changes slightly with time, as the biscuits absorb more of the coffee and cheese cream.
METHOD
First, make the coffee so it has time to cool down a little. Once it’s ready, pour it into a shallow bowl and add the milk – the milk softens its flavour and reduces the temperature. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with 3 tablespoons of the sugar (keeping 2 tablespoons aside to whisk with the egg whites later) for a couple of minutes until pale and creamy, either in a bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the salt and stir. Add the mascarpone cheese, a tablespoon at a time, gently whisking it in (either by hand this time, or using the lowest speed setting of the hand or stand mixer) until just combined. In a separate, clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric hand mixer (attachments cleaned and dried if you used them for the egg yolks, sugar and mascarpone) for about 1 minute until they form soft peaks, then add the 2 tablespoons of sugar you set aside earlier, continuing to whisk for at least 1 minute at high speed until the whites form stiff peaks. Slowly fold them into the mascarpone and egg yolk mixture with a metal spoon or spatula – adding the sugar to the whisked egg whites helps hold the mixture together. Spread a thin coat of the mascarpone mixture on the base of a square, oval or round dish about 30 x 25cm. Dip the savoiardion both sides into the coffee, one at a time, and place them close together over the mascarpone mixture until you have a single layer. Spread half of the remaining mascarpone mixture uniformly over the biscuits. Cover it with a second layer of finger biscuits dipped in coffee, then spread the remaining mascarpone mixture on top. Keep chilled for at least 2 hours until ready to serve. If it’s going to be in the fridge for more than 2–3 hours, then cover it with clingfilm. Sift cocoa powder over the top and serve chilled, always.
