New York Cheesecake

 

Auntie Loulla (Loulla Astin) is my mother’s sister and the award winning restaurateur of the famous Kosmos Greek Taverna in Manchester.

Her career has seen her cook on TV many times, including presenting her own cookery series on SKY and she was even invited to meet The Queen at Buckingham Palace too.

Here she shares her amazing New York Cheesecake recipe which happens to be my husband’s all-time favourite dessert.

 

Over to Auntie Lou:

Everybody thinks cheesecake is American or French, but the truth is it was invented by the Ancient Greeks for the first Olympics. The Americans have definitely perfected it though!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Crust

• 175g (6oz) digestive biscuits
• 75g (3oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 50g (3oz) caster sugar

Filling

• 600g soft cheese
• 170g (6oz) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs cornflour
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 275g (1/2pint) double cream

Topping

• 250g (8oz) blueberries or blackberries (we used blackberries)
• 3tbs caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1tbs water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350f, Gas mark 4.Grease and line 1x23cm (9inch) spring cake tin. Place biscuits with the sugar in a food processor and process for a few seconds. Add the butter and process again until mixed. Tip into the tin and press lightly and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.

Place all the filling ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and pour onto base.

Bake for 50 minutes until set and golden all over, but not brown. Turn the oven off, leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door open. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Heat topping ingredients until blueberries/blackberries burst and pour over cheesecake, decorate and chill until set, or spoon over just before serving.

Always remove the cheesecake from the fridge at least ½ hour before serving as it tastes nicer that way!

Do also join Loulla’s private Facebook Group which has thousands of members: Loulla’s Recipe Share.