The contentious issue of cheesecake

A long long time ago in a galaxy far away there was a cook book, a simple, plain & basic cook book by today’s standards but for my mind it was the benchmark for everything that the likes of Jamie, Hugh, Nigel or Nigella have ever done since. It was in essence (and still is as far I’m concerned as I am in possession of my original copy) a family cookbook, everyday meals, from everyday ingredients, midweek meals for the busy family and weekend treats. First published in 1970 as far as I can determine, although my copy is dated 1983, I guess it covered the ground that the new young working family required, fast, tasty, healthy meals that a working mum (and dad) could easily cook, sustaining their offspring and friends whilst keeping them interested at the table and avoiding such delights as Birds Eye ‘boil-in-the-bag’ or Cadbury’s Smash, Fray Bentos steak pies, in a tin! (My maternal grandmother was rather partial to one of those though) or god-forbid Findus crispy (un)savoury pancakes!

Not only do I remember these meals with fond affection, I remember that as a family we loved them, they were served for suppers, lunches, dinner parties and I still cook some of them today, I might have adapted them slightly, but mostly I cook them just how they were written. Sweet & sour ribs, the recipe for red cabbage is unchanged, chicken liver pate, barbecued beef (sweet and delicious with celery and green peppers) and of course baked cheesecake. It was the book that got my brothers and I interested in food and ultimately got us cooking. My 1983 copy coincided with moving into my first flat and became a constant feature in my first kitchen. The book was written by a long time friend of my mothers’,Elaine Hallgarten and co-authored by her long time friend Dorothy Brown, then came a string of other books, Mince Matters, Cooking with Yoghurt and The Jaffa Cookbook, but this book was called Cookery Do. I will and have already, in a spiritual sense, pass this book on to my friends and children and hope they’ll continue to cook these simple tasty recipes for as long as I have.

Back to cheesecake, cheese, being the operative word here. There are many recipes for cheesecake, some baked, some not, some set with gelatine others with eggs. The key thing here for me is the cheese. I have always favoured the traditional Jewish baked cheesecake. The one they serve in the Brick Lane Bagel Bake, the one you get from a street corner deli in Manhattan, the one my mother makes, the one in Cookery Do. It’s simple, it’s delightful and it’s delicious. Eggs, Lemon, Sugar and the vital ingredient, curd cheese. Curd cheese is similar to cream cheese but with a lower fat content. It has a slight acidity and a light flavour, colour and texture which is ideal for cheesecake. You can usually find it in Polish shops, supermarket deli counters (sometimes known as medium fat cream cheese) and even have it delivered from my favourite supplier of Devon Gold soft Curd Cheese Langage farm. When baked in the recipe here your cheesecake will have a texture like no other. Philadelphia is meant for sandwiches, and jolly good it is too, not cheesecake, I know it’s contentious, but it’s true!

Classic baked cheesecake 

Serves: 10 slices

• 500g curd cheese 
• 4 eggs 
• 250g caster sugar 
• 1 lemon juiced & zested 
• 8 digestive biscuits 
• 50g butter 

Preheat oven to 175 degrees

Break the digestive biscuits into coarse crumbs and place in a small saucepan. Melt the butter into the biscuit-crumb over a low heat until completely absorbed. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a well buttered cake tin (with a removable bottom) and press down to form the base of the cake with the back of a spoon. The base should be smooth and level on the surface but not too compact, as this will make the base dense. When done place the tin in the fridge for 20mins to ‘set’ the base.

Mix the curd cheese, eggs, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl with a balloon whisk until you have a creamy bubbly mixture.

Remove the cake tin from the fridge and place on a baking tray. Carefully pour in the cheesecake mixture taking care not to disturb the biscuit base. Gently place in the middle of the oven and bake for 30-45 mins.

When cooked the cake will have slightly coloured on top and the mixture will still wobble slightly in the centre. Don’t worry about this, as it will firm up as it cools. When it is at this stage turn the oven off and open the door about 15 cm leaving the cake inside and allow it to cool for an hour or so. This will help prevent splits appearing in the surface and continue to cook the cake.

Best made the day before and refrigerated overnight.

These quantities will exactly fill a 200mm diameter x 50mm deep cake tin.