Here you are (long). Haven't tried any of these, but they sound good!
NEW YORK CHEESECAKE
I ate a cheesecake just like this in New York once. I couldn?t quite work out what gave it that airy lightness until I registered that, unlike the creamy, smooth and dense cheesecakes I?d always known, the whites of the eggs must have been whisked.
I know the cooking instructions look odd (and if you want, you can go for the water-bath option and the more straightforward approach of the following two cheesecakes), but for me they?re part of the Jewish cheesecake tradition.
for the base:
250g digestive biscuits crushed to fine crumbs
150g unsalted butter, melted
225g plus 3 tablespoons caster sugar
24cm Springform tin
for the topping:
2 tablespoons cornflour
750g cream cheese
6 large eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
l50ml double cream
150ml sour cream
0.5 teaspoon salt
zest of 1 lemon
icing sugar for dusting
raspberries or blackberries to serve
Mix together the crushed biscuits, melted butter and 3 tablespoons of sugar, and press into the base of the Springform tin. Put into the fridge for about half an hour to set.
Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining sugar and the cornflour. Beat in the cream cheese, egg yolks and vanilla, either by hand or using an electric beater. Slowly pour in both creams, beating constantly. Add the salt and lemon zest. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold into the cheese mixture. Scoop onto the chilled base. Bake for l?1.5 hours without opening the oven door, until the cheesecake is golden-brown on top. Turn off the heat and let the cake stand in the oven for 2 more hours. Then open the oven door and let it stand for a further hour. Serve chilled, dusted with icing sugar.
Serves 12?14.
LONDON CHEESECAKE
If I had a New York cheesecake, I had to have a London one, and this is surely it. My paternal grandmother instructed me in the art of adding the final layer of sour cream, sugar and vanilla: and it?s true, it does complete it.
I cannot tell you how much the velvety smoothness is enhanced by cooking the cheesecake in the water bath. It?s not hard, though you really must wrap the tin twice in extra-strength tin foil. Once you?ve tried it this way, you won?t even consider cooking it any other.
for the base:
150g digestive biscuits
75g unsalted butter, melted or very soft
600g cream cheese
150g caster sugar
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
20cm Springform tin
extra-strength tin foil
for the topping:
145ml tub sour cream
1 tablespoon caster sugar
0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
Process the biscuits until they are like crumbs, then add the butter and pulse again. Line the bottom of the Springform tin, pressing the biscuits in with your hands or the back of a spoon. Put the tin in the fridge to set, and preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Beat the cream cheese gently until it?s smooth, then add the sugar. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, then finally the vanilla and lemon juice. Put the kettle on.
Line the outside of the chilled tin with strong foil so that it covers the bottom and sides in one large piece, and then do the same again and put it into a roasting dish. This will protect the cheesecake from the water as it is cooked in its water bath.
Pour the cream-cheese filling into the chilled biscuit base, and then pour hot water from the recently boiled kettle into the roasting tin around the cheesecake. It should come about halfway up; don?t overfill as it will be difficult to lift up the tin. Put it into the oven and cook for 50 minutes. It should feel set, but not rigidly so: you just need to feel confident that when you pour the sour cream over, it will sit on the surface and not sink in. Whisk together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla for the topping and pour over the cheesecake. Put it back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Take the roasting tin out of the oven, then gingerly remove the Springform, unwrap it and stand it on a rack to cool. When it?s cooled down completely, put it in the fridge, removing it 20 minutes before eating to take the chill off. Unmould and when you cut into it, plunge a knife in hot water first.
Serves 8.
JOE DOLCE?S ITALIAN CHEESECAKE
I have become a bit of a bore. I can?t hear anyone talk about a delicious something or other someone in their family cooks without asking for the recipe. This is the cheesecake my friend Joe Dolce told me his grandmothet; Edith Guerino, always used to make. He e-mailed it to me with the message ?Eat it and weep?. You?ll see.
12 large eggs
1.5kg ricotta
275g caster sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or Amaretto
25cm Springform tin
kitchen towels
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Beat the eggs until well mixed. In a separate bowl, beat the ricotta until creamy, then gradually add the sugar, eggs and vanilla or Amaretto. Pour into the Springform tin, and bake for 1.25 hours. Do NOT open the oven before this time is up. It may be ready then, you may need to give it another 15 minutes. It?s ready when the edges have risen into a crown of bronzed goldenness and the middle is parchment-pale and smooth but resistant, just, to the touch. At this stage, switch off the oven and leave the door open and the cheesecake inside for a further hour. Then take it out of the oven and let it sit on a rack at room temperature till cool.
Now for the difficult bit. Line two large lipless plates with kitchen towels. Gradually loosen the sides of the cheesecake with a spatula. Unclip the mould and turn the cheesecake, topside-down, onto one of the plates. Remove the tin base, now cover the cake with the other plate and turn right-side up. Remove top plate, loosely cover the cake with the kitchen towels and put into the fridge. The kitchen towels should soak up any excess moisture ? and there will he plenty. At least 12 hours in the fridge is necessary to let the cheesecake dry out adequately.
An hour before you want to eat it, remove the kitchen towels from the top and turn the cake upside-down onto a kitchen-towel-lined plate, adding yet another layer of fresh kitchen towels on top. Finally, after an hour, turn the cake right-side up onto a large, flat serving plate and leave to get to room temperature.
All this turning this way and that is tricky, but if it?s any consolation, I once broke it a bit, but when it had been wodged into place on the plate you didn?t notice at all.
Best Christmas cracker fillers to make your own DIY homemade Christmas crackersMaking your own crackers makes Christmas dinner a bit more special. Here are a few ideas for ways to fill them and give everyone a cracking surprise at the table.
Best bread knives for 2024A good bread knife doesn’t just saw through your crusty baguette with ease. It can peel and slice fruit, veg and meat too. Read on for the 10 best bread knives to buy now.
Best bread bins to keep loaves fresher for longerWhether it’s leftover loaves or banana bread, we all need somewhere to store baked goods. We’ve rounded up the best bread bins to buy to keep things fresher for longer.