Cheesecake

Cheesecake 

I have been making this cheesecake every Christmas for the past 30 years. I have always used Philadelphia cream cheese but this year I've used my Tefal Cuisine Companion made cream cheese (recipe follows) it is so light, creamy and delicious. The toppings for this cheesecake have changed over the years. I used to set a tin of pitted dark cherries with gelatine and when thick and syrupy pour over the cheesecake. In past years I have made my own dark cherry jam to top this cheesecake but in recent years when pressed for time I have used a store bought dark cherry jam.

Biscuit base:

140 gms plain biscuits (I used Marie biscuits )
75 gms unsalted butter, melted (I melted in microwave)
Insert Ultrablade. Stopper in.
Crush biscuits using pulse button until done with internal steam basket inserted.
Add melted butter. Stopper out. Internal steam basket removed.
Sp3:30sec or until combined.
Press into base of  20cm springform cake tin (you may not use all the crumb mixture, it depends on how thick you like your biscuit base) and refrigerate.

Cheesecake layer:

1/4 cup boiling water
10 gms gelatine powder
250 gms CC made cream cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
395gm condensed milk
300 mls thickened cream
1/2 tspn vanilla extract
Pour boiling water into small heatproof bowl, start stirring vigorously with fork, add gelatine quickly and keep stirring until gelatine dissolves. Set aside stirring occasionally until cooled to room temperature.
Insert Kneading Blade
Add cream cheese, Speed 11 until smooth, scraping down sides with spatula every 10 seconds.
Add condensed milk, Speed 10 until fully combined, scraping down sides and around blade with spatula every 10 seconds.
Insert Whisk.
Add cream and vanilla extract.
Speed 7 for 1 min 30 or until mixture thickens. Scrape down sides with spatula every 20 seconds.
Start Speed 6 for 20 seconds whilst pouring gelatine mixture through hole in lid.
Remove whisk, give a light stir with spatula and pour onto biscuit base.
Refrigerate until set.

Cream Cheese

1 litre full cream milk

300 mls thickened or pure cream

40 gms white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt (optional)

Insert Stirring Blade. Stopper out.
Add milk and cream

Sp3:100deg:20mins 

Sp3:1min adding white wine vinegar through hole in lid

Rest 10 mins then gently pour curds into tea towel lined mesh sieve over large bowl. (Reserve 1 cup whey). Strain for 2 minutes then place in clean bowl, and set aside for 1/2 hour.  Add enough  reserved whey to just cover cheese. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use drain any excess whey. Add yoghurt (optional)
Blend until smooth using Ultrablade, Mini Bowl or stick blender.