Yumm...cheesecake recipe

I have a favorite cheesecake. I have never been a huge fan of traditional cheesecakes, although I have found a few now that I like. I find them heavy, cloying and too heavy.  I have always loved this cheesecake though - it is light, melts in your mouth and tastes divine.  This is a cheesecake my aunt Lonia has made for many years - she has had this recipe for ages and I'm going to share it with you here.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Start with the dough

Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/3 pound softened butter (I weighed my sticks at about 5.4 ozs), 2 whole eggs and 1/2 cup sugar.  I used my Kitchen Aid mixer for this.

 You will find it makes a very stiff dough.

Dump it out into a 9x13 pan and press. Every time I make this I think for sure there is not enough to cover the whole bottom, but there always is.

Use a flat implement or your fingers and squash and push it around until the whole bottom has an even layer.

 

Then make the topping.

Separate 8 eggs.

Beat 1 cup of butter till it's smooth, then add and beat in 1 cup of sugar, the 8 egg yolks and 1 tsp vanilla.

Then add in 2 lbs of cheese. You can use Baker's cheese (which is similar to creamed cottage cheese but even creamier), creamed or pressed cottage cheese, twarog or ricotta - try a Polish deli for the cheese. Don't use regular cottage cheese in a tub - it's too watery and vile to boot.

Also add a package of vanilla pudding - not that horrid fake stuff that comes in a box, go to an Eastern European deli or check the ethnic section of a good grocery store for stuff in a pouch - the European ones have no additives or artificial crap.

Beat all that together until it's nice and smooth - scrape down the sides part way through.

Then get a hand mixer and beat your egg whites in a seperate bowl to soft peaks - when you lift your beaters peaks will remain visible but will collapse after a moment.

Fold that into the cheese and yolk mixture.  To fold, use a flat spatula or some other tool like that (I use a strange wooden flat tool) and scoop around one side, then through the middle. Turn your bowl and fold again and keep going until it is one uniform mix, and no further.  The goal is to mix it all together and lighten it all up by incorporating the airy beaten egg whites.

Pour that onto the base smooth the top and pop it into the oven.

Bake for 1 hour. As soon as you take it out of the oven (it should be nice and golden-y brown on top), use a plastic flat tool or spatula and run it around the edges - that'll help you get it out afterwards.

Let cool completely before cutting it up.

To cut it neatly, run a sharp knife under very hot water before each cut. I used this flat scraper as I left it in the pan and didn't want to run a knife across the pan.  You could line the pan first with a liner and lift the whole thing out when it cools.

Super delicious!

Here is the recipe in a form easier to print - just select the recipe text and print using the 'selection' option.

Cheesecake

Dough

1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 lb softened butter
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup sugar

Mix and press into 9x13 pan

Topping

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
8 eggs (separated)
2 lbs (or 1 kg) creamed cottage cheese, twarog, baker's cheese or ricotta
1 tbsp vanilla
1 vanilla pudding envelope

Beat butter, add and beat in sugar, yolks, vanilla. Add cheese and pudding and beat.
Beat whites to soft peaks.  Fold into cheese mixture and pour onto base. Smooth top.

Bake for 1 hour.

When done, cut around edge. Let cool completely before cutting.