This cheesecake has been a family favorite since the 70's! My Mom calls it a German cheesecake but I have no idea what makes it German and I have yet to ask - I think it may be the use of cottage cheese instead of cream cheese. Usually she makes it with strawberries but the last time it was a raspberry and blueberry surprise (see pics). I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do...
Ingredients and Preparation:
Base
1 (generous) cup cake & pastry flour 1/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt 1 egg (beaten)
½ cup Becel
Filling
500g tub 1%, or 2% cottage cheese (chunky kind, not creamed) ½ cup sugar
Small tub (175g) plain yoghurt OR 3 tablespoons sour cream 2 eggs (beaten)
Method
Special equipment – 10” spring form pan. Arrange rack in oven so pan can be placed on centre rack. Turn on oven to 350F.
In large mixing bowl, sift flour, add pinch salt, cut in Becel (with round ended knife) until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Fold in sugar. Add beaten egg and mix in with knife just until blended but maintaining appearance of bread crumbs. Sprinkle/spread mixture in bottom of spring form pan, press down and out to sides of pan gently with finger tips. Put aside and prepare filling.
Put cottage cheese in mixing bowl (you can use the same one you just used for the base mixture, no need to wash it!). Blend in yoghurt or sour cream with spoon. Gently blend in sugar. Gently stir in beaten eggs – do not beat or whip. Pour mixture onto base in spring form pan. Place on middle rack in oven and cook for 1 hour or until top is firm and golden yellow coloured (not brown or it will be dry). When cooked, leave to cool then add topping of your choice. Cake improves in taste and texture if served the next day (if you can wait!).
Topping
Cover top of cheesecake with generous amount of halved, fresh strawberries, or raspberries, or blueberries or mixture of all three if you like! You can also use frozen fruit or unsweetened canned fruit. Pour glaze over top (recipe below for the gourmet pastry chef – or cheat and use package glaze mix from store…) and allow to set. Share and enjoy!
Strawberry Glaze
1 quart strawberries 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon butter
¼ cup water
- Wash and hull the strawberries. Crush enough berries to make one half cup.
- Boil the crushed berries, sugar, water and cornstarch two minutes, stirring. Add the butter. Strain and cool.
- Arrange the berries (whole or sliced in half) over the cheesecake and pour the glaze over the berries. Chill.
