Basque Cheesecake
I've tried multiple Basque cheesecakes, and each one was unique. Some were hard and dense, while others were mildly flavoured and required a topping. I created this variation because I prefer my cheesecakes smooth, silky, soft, and not cold, but rather at room temperature.
Serves 8 to 10
Preheat the oven to 200 C | 400 F.
Prepare a 20 cm | 8 inch springform pan with one large piece of parchment that covers the whole pan until the top to prevent leaks.
250 g | 8.8 oz mascarpone cream cheese
250 g | 8.8 oz other cream cheese of your choice or ricotta
1 cup white sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp limoncello
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs or 4 small eggs
375 ml | 12 oz | 1 1/2 cups of 35% cream with the juice of one lemon squeezed into it. Stir and let it stand for 15 minutes to slightly thicken.
In a food processor, whip all the ingredients together in the order listed, and beat until smooth and creamy. Start with the cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time with the machine running. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Place in the preheated oven to bake for 50 minutes. It must have a wobble. If the top is still pale, turn the broiler on high for a minute or two. A Basque cheesecake must have 'burnt' skin on top. Remove and let it cool for 3 hours before serving. Do not refrigerate if you like it smooth, silky, and melt-in-the-mouth. If you live in a cold country, leave it outside overnight.
Serve it with fresh fruit like berries, cherries, or oranges.
Tips
To set it faster, you can place it in the refirgerator for 15 minutes. You can chill this cheesecake further if you prefer it cold but, the consistency will differ.
My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself via email, in independent book stores across the world and on Amazon India. The Route to Parsi Cooking: From Pars to India and Beyond is an award winning book. It has been self published in June 2024. Email at theroutetoparsicooking@gmail.com The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. The Vegetarian Parsi, inspired by tradition is an award winning cookbook. It was published by Spenta Multimedia India and is available on Amazon India and through email order at thevegetarianparsi@gmail.com. The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers. |