The cheesecake consists
of a biscuit crumb base, topped with a surprisingly light cheesecake filling
and then a candied lemon layer finishing it off. The cheesecake is baked rather
than set with gelatine (or other setting agent) but it tastes so fresh and whilst
rich, is not heavy or dense – you’d almost be fooled into thinking that it was
one of the set varieties.
I was bemoaning how
miserable January can be – and believe me last week really felt like the most
tedious of weeks where everything was such an ordeal - but when faced with a
dessert like this, you cannot help but feel positive, hopeful and optimistic.
This is what I love about citrus fruits… they tend to be at their best (in this
part of the world anyway) when the weather is its coldest and most bleak.
The great thing about
lemons in particular, is that they cut through the richness of the dishes in
which they are used and, in something like this cheesecake, which really
focuses on the lemon flavour, they impart a zingy quality which makes them seem
‘lighter’ to eat. Having said this, a LOT of cream cheese and sugar is
included, but this is allowable every now-and-again as a treat.
Whilst the cheesecake
would be lovely on its own, without the candied lemon topping, I really think
that it emphasises and celebrates the flavour of the lemon and looks so
beautiful glistening on top of the cheesecake. The key to making the topping is
to slice the lemons into thin slices using a sharp knife. If preferred, you
could place fresh raspberries or strawberries on top instead… but I urge you to
try the candied topping because it is seriously delicious!
This is a very
straightforward recipe and success is easy to achieve, so do have a go at
making it. You could use other citrus fruits, but for me, nothing beats lemons!
Ingredients:
Base:200g digestive biscuits
75g butter, melted
Filling:
600g cream cheese
(full-fat)
250g caster sugar
3 large eggs, lightly
beaten
150g yoghurt (I used
Glenisk Natural Yoghurt)
Finely grated zest of 2
lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
50g plain flour, sieved
Topping:
2 lemons, thinly sliced
125g caster sugar
125ml water
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 120C/Fan
Oven 100C/Gas Mark ¼. Grease the base and sides of a 20cm round springform tin
with butter and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking parchment. Set
aside.
Base:
2. Place the biscuits into a
freezer bag and bash into crumbs using a rolling pin (you can also use a food
processor to do this). Place the biscuit crumbs into a small mixing bowl and
pour on the melted butter. Mix with a wooden spoon so that all the crumbs are
coated in butter and then press into the bottom of the prepared tin, levelling
the surface with the back of a metal spoon. Place in the fridge to harden up
while you make the filling.
Filling:
3. Place the cream cheese
and caster sugar into a medium sized mixing bowl and beat together using a
hand-held electric mixer. Once incorporated, add the eggs, mixing them in
thoroughly, but avoid over-mixing as this can cause the cheesecake to crack
when it is baked.
4. Add the yoghurt, lemon
zest and juice and mix these in and finally add the flour, making sure that it
is also fully incorporated.
5. Pour the mixture on top
of the chilled base and gently shake the tin from side-to-side to even it out.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. It should still seem wobbly in the
centre. Leave in the switched off oven for another hour and then remove and
allow to cool completely. Chill until ready to serve.
Topping:
6. Place the lemon slices in
a small saucepan and barely cover them with boiling water. Allow to bubble for
1 minute and then drain and plunge the lemon slices into cold water to refresh.
7. Place the caster sugar
and 125ml water into a small saucepan, place over a moderate heat, let the
sugar dissolve and bring to the boil. Reduce heat so that the syrup is just gently
simmering.
8. Drain the lemon slices
and place into the syrup. All to simmer for 30 minutes and then allow to cool
in the syrup.
To serve:
9. Arrange the cooled
candied lemon slices on top of the chilled cheesecake and serve cut into
slices.
Serves 10-12.
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