Sunday, July 15, 2007

Weekend Cookbook Challenge #18

Sara from I like to Cook is back hosting Weekend Cookbook Challenge and the theme she chose was red and white - the interpretation of which has been left to us.

As I was flicking through the pages of Jane Price's Kitchen Classics: Sweet and Savoury Bites I kept stopping at a photo of a blueberry cheesecake that, to be honest, had me seriously wishing I could taste it straight off the page.

Unfortunately blueberries are not red but raspberries are, so with a little tweaking I've been able to create something that satisfies the theme quite sweetly.

baked raspberry cheesecake

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake

Base:
125 grams unsalted butter
100 grams rolled oats
100 grams wheatmeal cookies, finely crushed (use a food processor)
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar

Filling:
375 grams light cream cheese, softened
100 grams ricotta
80 grams caster sugar
125 grams light sour cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 tablespoon plain flour

Topping:
250 grams frozen raspberry (or fresh if in season)
200 grams raspberry jam/jelly

Make the Base:

Butter a 20cm/8inch round spring-form tin - line the base with baking paper.

Place the butter in a saucepan to melt - when melted add the rolled oats, cookie crumbs and sugar and stir well to combine.

Pour the mixture into the lined tin and press it down firmly to create an even base.

Store in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Make the Filling:

Place the cream cheese, ricotta sugar and sour cream into the bowl of a mixer and beat until smooth.

Add the eggs, vanilla paste and plain flour and continue to beat until smooth.

Pour this over the chilled base and cook in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for 40-45 minutes or until the filling is just set.

Remove from the oven but allow it to cool in the tin.

Make the Topping:

Place the frozen berries into a small saucepan along with the jam/jelly and heat gently until the berries have softened and the jam has melted.

Let this cool a little before spreading it over the cold cheesecake - you will notice that the cheesecake will have shrunk away from the sides of the tin so the some of the topping will ooze out over the edge.

Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

baked raspberry cheesecake

Letting it cool completely will make removal quite easy.

baked raspberry cheesecake

I'm extremely pleased with the outcome - it's soft and creamy but with a wonderfully light texture. The topping adds that bit of sweetness and the base is appealingly crunchy.

slice

I think it will be very easy to justify having a second slice of this.

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17 comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 15, 2007

    Mmm mm mm - I adore baked cheesecakes, and this looks a treat with that luscious, ruby-red raspberry layer!

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  2. I second your decision to have a second slice. This looks delicious!

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  3. oh i would start a fight for a piece of this one RIGHT NOW! it just looks wonderful, i can smell it just by looking at it. wonderfulwonderfulwonderful!

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  4. Thanks Ellie - I haven't made cheese cake in ages but I'd happily make this one tomorrow.

    Thanks Nora - I'm impressed by it's texture and amazed how well it turned out using low fat cream cheese and sour cream, you could almost this is health food ;)

    Thanks Myriam - I'll bake another to avoid any arguments then we can all enjoy it!

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  5. That looks completely incredible and I wish I could cut myself a slice and eat it off the screen! I bet it's wonderful with blueberries too...

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  6. Your cheesecake is luscious, Haalo - I think I prefer it with the raspberries!

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  7. That looks absolutely devine! The photos are really fab!

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  8. AnonymousJuly 17, 2007

    omg what i woildn't do for a big fat slice of that right now i don't even know. WOW, YUM!! :)

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  9. Thanks Hilda - if you'd like to make it with fresh blueberries the method changes. You place the fresh blueberries over the cooked cake and heat up the jam/jelly until it softens and then just brush this over the fresh berries to just glaze them and set them into place.

    Thanks Patricia - I think this would be lovely even without the berries.

    Thanks Holler!

    Thanks Aria - If I could give you a large size or two I would!

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  10. AnonymousJuly 17, 2007

    stunning cheesecake....i recently made a raspberry one too but not the real thing as you have done...mine was a quickie version...your looks great...

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  11. Just beautiful. Thanks for taking part in WCC again.

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  12. Thanks Sara, it's always a pleasure to take part.

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  13. Gorgeous cheesecake. And I'm glad to see the seeds, which I enjoy. It's bookmarked to try...

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  14. Thanks Kelly - I hope you enjoy making this!

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  15. That's a very intriguing version of baked cheese cake! Usually I don't like cheese cakes with cream cheese, they're too dense and heavy. But this one looks just right!

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  16. Hi Eva, this is a lighter style and it would probably be my favourite version, there's nothing dense and heavy about it.

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