Baked Berry Cheesecake

I have to admit I have never made a cheesecake before and was always slightly afraid of them ! Not to mention the eating of one but the baking !

So when I was asked by a friend to make a surprise cheesecake for her husbands birthday, I trembled ! 

She insisted and sent me this recipe here and I trembled a little more, I sent her this 'no bake' Nigella Lawson cheesecake but still insisted on the baked variety ! 

She really wanted cherries for him but I had no luck as we are totally in the wrong season & I couldn't even find them frozen. 

I picked raspberries instead as I always enjoy raspberries tartness in sweet creamy foods like this. 

I put my baking hat on and went to work, it turned out fab and looked pretty darn spectacular, I never tasted it but was assured it was delicious !

It was rather easy to make all in all, the trickiest part was most probaly  getting the cream cheese to a blend-able texture and as my dear old mixer wasn't going I had to use a hand beater. Many swear words later & voila it was ready to be put into the pan - even though mine did get a small crack in the top I use a fan forced oven & only put a small dish of hot water with it to cook to keep it moist, I would recommend this.

 Next time it will be perfect and oh yes there WILL be a next time !

Base

1 Packet of super wine biscuits or any sweet biscuit around 200 g 

80 grams butter melted

1 tsp cinnamon

Filling

750 g cream cheese, at room temperature chopped ( 3 cartons of philly cream cheese ) 

 ¾ cup caster sugar 

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, at room temperature 

1 tbs lemon juice 

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind   

2 tbs plain flour    

300g frozen berries ( I used raspberries )  + extra thawed for the top if you like

Icing sugar for dusting            

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

1. Preheat oven to 160c Grease a 22cm spring-form cake pan and line the base and side with baking paper or tin foil
2. To make the base, break the biscuits and place in a food processor.  Process until finely crushed.  Add cinnamon and melted butter.  Process until well combined.  Evenly press mixture into the base of pan.  Refrigerate while you make the filling
3. To make the filling, its best to use a mixer but hand beaters work if you use your wooden spoon for help & beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add lemon juice, zest and sour cream and sift over the flour.  Mix on low speed until smooth.  Swirl through frozen cherries.  Pour mixture over biscuit base.  Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes until just firm but the centre trembles slightly when the side of the pan is gently tapped.  Turn oven off and cool in oven with the door ajar until cool.  Remove from oven, leave to completely cool in pan, then refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight) until chilled

 To serve, remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving.  Remove from pan and place on a serving plate ( I did this by using a plate on top & flipping then placing serving plate under and flipping again)  Dust with icing sugar and top with extra just-defrosted berries

Baked Lemon Sponge Pudding

More lemon recipes you say, why yes ! I guess I am including this as it is an absolute delight, one of the most delicious puddings you will ever taste. 

As the weather gets colder the oven gets warmer round at my house and puddings are made 2-3 times a week, a great way to use the heat in your oven after cooking a meal and heat the house with deliciousness!

If you like lemons & sponge pudding then you have got to make it, honestly if you just want a real popular pudding whip this bad boy up & serve it with some greek yoghurt and as we say in NZ Bobs your uncle ! A lemon sauce forms under the sponge that is similar to a lemon curd!

This recipe comes form the grandmother of home cooking in New Zealand, the one, the only Alison Holst  She is amazing, any recipe I have tried of hers is so tasty and easy. She does domestic goddess at its best. 

This beauty is from The Ultimate Collection , hands down the only cookbook you could ever need. But somehow cookbooks are like shoes one more is never enough ....

Baked Lemon Sponge Pudding

50 g butter

1/4 Cup plain flour

2 eggs separated

3/4 sugar

grated rind of 2 lemons

1/4 Cup ( 60 ml ) lemon juice

3/4 Cup ( 185 ml ) milk

1. Turn the oven to 190 c, melt the butter in a small pot, add the flour and stir

2. Put the egg whites into an ovenproof dish that you can make the pudding in ( 1 litre capacity) add the yolks into the butter mixture

3. Beat the whites until they form soft peaks, add 1/4 cup of the sugar and beat again until the tips of the peaks turn over when the beater is lifted from them

4. Add the reaming 1/2 cup sugar to the butter mixture with the lemon rind and juice.

5. Beat with the unwashed beater then add milk and beat again

6. Pour the lemon mix over the egg whites and fold gently to combine

7. Stand the dish in a larger bowl of hot water ( like a roasting dish ) , bake at 190c for about 40 mins until the centre is firm and golden brown - serve hot with ice cream or yoghurt & get ready to lick the dish.

 

 Serves 4 if your lucky !

Crunchy Topped Lemon Loaf

Its been a while , I have been a slack little blogger , in between the winter blues & children's ills time has simply crept away on me. Good intentions turn into tomorrows never achieved !
Alas I have been baking tho ' As the saying goes when life gives you lemons - BAKE ! Hear hear .
A bag of home grown lemons make me soooo happy my mind is alive of things to do & bake , so as we here in NZ are right in the middle of winter , natures lil bag of sunshine has to be the citrus tree .
In fact I have just guzzled down a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice made from fruit from my papa's tree - honestly this stuff is better than coffee , energy , HELLO !
I really think Lemons go the best in cakes , muffins & slices because of that tangy contrast they bring to the sweet . This recipe was a first for me but looked so divine !
It comes from Alexa Johnston's magical book ' A second helping ' which I use so often & never lets me down .
If you are after a little bit of sunshine on a winters day whip this baby up & sit down with a cup of tea for some lemony goodness - its quite moreish , don't say I didn't tell you so !

Crunchy Topped Lemon Loaf

For the cake -

115g butter
3/4 caster sugar
2 tsp lemon zest ( finally grated )
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk

For the topping -

1/3 cup caster sugar
2 TBsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 180 c . Lightly grease a medium sized loaf tin

2. Cream soft butter and sugar until light & fluffy, beat in Lemon zest then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Use a metal spoon to gently fold in sifted dry ingredients a third at a time, alternating with the milk.

4. Pour the mixture into tin, smooth the top & bake for about 40 mins, rotating halfway through for a nice even bake. The cake will be a golden colour with a crack running along the top and should be just pulling away from the sides of the tin. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack still in tin.

5. For the topping, combine the sugar and lemon juice in a small jug then slowly pour over the top of the still hot cake. It will soak in a little and run down the sides, leaving a thin crust of sugar on the top. Cool in tin the turn out carefully - slice and enjoy !