Traditional European Cheesecake

[SHARA]

Traditional European Cheesecake

For The Crust
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup ground walnuts
3/4 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
For The Filling
700g. creamed cheese, softened
200g. soft white cheese such as ricotta
1 1/2 cups of sugar
6 large eggs, separated
juice and zest of 1 large lemon
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 cup of thick cream
1 cup of sultanas (optional)
2 tablespoons icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 200c. and butter a 28cm. non-stick springform cake tin. Remove the base of the cake tin from the sides and lay a piece baking paper over the base. Replace the sides to hold the paper in place.
First, prepare the crust. Using a food processor, pulse together all the "crust" ingredients until a stiff dough forms. Roll out the dough and press over the base of the cake tin. Bake at 200c. for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and cool, set aside. (If you do not have a food processor, simply beat the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until combined then proceed with the recipe).
Meanwhile, in a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the creamed cheese, white cheese and 1 cup of sugar and beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the juice and zest of the lemon and the plain flour and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foaming then add the remaining half cup of sugar, sprinkling the sugar into the egg whites while the motor is running. When all the sugar has been added, raise the speed of the mixer to the fastest, then allow the egg whites to beat until they are thick and glossy.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form.
Fold the beaten cream and the egg whites into the cheese mixture and combine thoroughly. Pour the batter into the cooled crust the sprinkle over the sultanas and gently stir a few in so that they drop below the surface. Bake at 200c. for 10 minutes then reduce the heat to 150c. and cook for an hour. Turn off the oven heat and leave the cake in the oven undisturbed. When the cake has cooled, remove from the oven and chill overnight.
Remove the sides from the springform tin then slide the cake off the base.
Transfer the cake to a platter then gently ease the paper out from under the cake.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.
This is a very traditional cheese cake and it is very very good!

[KoRn%Aragorn]

Wow, it's so good... Very well! Now I try to convince my girl to do this cheesecake.

[oztralia]

wow another cheesecake...to my delight.. .there's a heap of cheese in this one though.. ..have to try sooner or later!!!