With Shavuot coming up, our Head Chef at Hammerson House, Natalie, is sharing a treasured family favourite; her mum’s famous cheesecake, also known as Deanna’s Cheesecake. Rich, creamy and full of tradition, it’s a wonderful recipe to make and share with family and friends this Shavuot.
Natalie’s Mum’s Cheesecake (Deanna’s Cheesecake)
Makes 2 8 ½ inch spring form tins
Ingredients
- 800g Cream Cheese Shefa brand
- 4 Eggs Separated into whites and yolks
- 150ml of Double Cream
- 75ml of plain yoghurt
- Zest of a lemon
- Vanilla 2 Teaspoons
- 40 g Caster Sugar
- 250g /2 packet of Digestive Biscuits or biscuits of choice
- 150g Margarine or Butter melted
- 5 tablespoon of Corn flour mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk
- Non-Stick Baking Parchment
- Garnish ideas – Fruit of Choice, chocolate shavings, whipped cream
Method
- Crush the biscuits in a food processor, or by hand and mix with the melted margarine or butter
- Line the circumference of the tin with a layer of non-stick baking parchment
- Line base of mould with a layer of biscuit crumbs, slightly going up edges of the bottom of the tin
- Separate the eggs into two separate bowls
- Put Cream cheese, double cream in a bowl with the egg yolks and plain yoghurt. Mix till smooth and creamy with an electric mixer or by hand
- Add the Vanilla, Lemon Zest and Sugar to taste. Set aside
- In a Separate bowl on either an electric mixer or by hand, beat the egg whites until doubled in size at first. Then add a little sugar to stabilise the egg whites, until you have reached a stiff peak stage
- Add a little egg white to the egg yolk mixture of the cheese/ cream mix to slacken the mixture. Then add the rest of the egg whites by folding them in two halves, so as not to knock out all the air you have incorporated
- Finally add the mixture onto the biscuits and bake on140°c- 150 °c (depend on oven) for about an hour until set and a slight wobble. It should feel slightly firm. Don’t worry it may crack. Let it cool in the oven, switched off with the door slightly open which should minimise this
- Garnish with whipped cream and fruit of your choice. You can also add chocolate shavings or melted chocolate.
