Simple is best

Classic baked Cheesecake

Serves 10-15

Cooking time 30-40 preparation plus 1-15Hr cooking and best with overnight chilling.

Like most people who grew up in UK from the 70's onwards cheese cake means only one thing a pudding you got on special occasions that was made out of a box that had 3 packets in it. These cakes were great they tasted good, me and my brothers could make them ourselves, and they seemed dead sophisticated especially the black cherry one and they made a change from those flans with jelly and mandarins on them.

I know they may have been "filled with chemicals" but we only had them every so often and hey most things came in packets soup (just add water), mash (just add robots) and for brief period pizza (just add well cheese)!

I think once when I was staying with another family we had another form of cheese cake from the "deli" counter at COOP but if memory serves this was just a lump of very ripe Cheshire cheese on some biscuits with pineapple on the top, it strangely horrid.

It took all the way until 21st century for me to try "real" cheese cake, and of course being dead flash I tried it just of Bleeker st in the Village, I think the place was called Dantes and claimed to specialise in the stuff. Well on a grey NY day with some coffee it wasn't too bad and after having some more from Gaby's back here in London I decided to give it a go. I've made one 5 or 6 times and I think keeping it simple is the key. Many of the recipes involve adding chocolate to the base or having varied sauces or topping but I think like tomato soup or vanilla ice cream, somethings are better kept one flavour. Sadly this week I lost my nerve and included a summer fruit compote/sauce as in picture but eating it again for New Year's day breakfast it was better without the berries.

What follows is adaption of a Nigella recipe including my variations as I always like to see how recipes evolve.

What you'll need

Spring bottom baking tin mine is 8inch
Cling film and tin foil
Deep sided Roasting pan big enough for your baking tin.
125g each of Hobnobs and gingernuts (added the later to add a bit of spice)
75g of unsalted butter
100g of caster sugar
Nigella suggested 4 eggs and I yolk I just added 5 eggs
700g cream cheese (mine was Turkish I think and came in brine so I soaked it in milk for an hour to rinse of the salt to save time just buy Philadelphia!)
125 ml of double cream
Again the saintly N suggested 2 tablespoons of cornflour which I forgot to buy so I replaced with custard powder!!
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
The finely chopped zest of 1 lemon
The juice of half the lemon this (replaces apple schnapps in NL list!)

Sauce (just so you know but I'd not bother next time)
500g of frozen mixed summer fruit
splash of sloe gin
Sugar to taste.

What you need to do:

1. Blitz the biscuits into sandy dust in the blender.
   
2. I deviated from NL here and melted the butter in pan and added it t the biscuits she just mixes it with the biscuits.
   
3. Pressed the crumbs and butter into the bottom of the baking tin in an even layer.
   
4. Put the tin in the oven to firm up.
   
5. Preheat the oven 170 C.
   
6. Clean out the mixer bowl.
   
7. Add to the clean bowl the eggs, cheese, cream, cornflour (custard powder) vanilla and lemon zest and mix up into smooth liquid.
   
8. Add the lemon juice at the end and stir in.
   
9. Now wrap the base of the baking tin with Clingfilm to ensure the liquid doesn't leak out. I used to 2 layers then wrap the film in tin foil to protect it from the heat.
   
10. Pour the cheese mixture onto the crumb base and place the tin in to the baking tray. Put the whole lot onto the oven shelf and then top up the roasting tray with hot water up half the height of the cake tin.
    
11. Close the oven door and bake for 1 hour, then check to see if it is a little wobbly in middle and has set if not give it another 15 mins.
    
12. By which time it should have as my friend S said a "proper patisserie" browned top.
    
13. Take it out of the oven and let it stand and cool for while.
    
14. Remove the film and foil and refrigerate overnight before eating.
    

    For the sauce:

Put the fruit and sloe gin in pan and simmer down until it's a sauce but not too cooked down then mix in the sugar to the sweetness you prefer. But like I say the Cheese cake probably doesn't need it so pass it separate and then put it on to some yoghurt the next day it keeps in the fridge for a while.

My resistance has crumbled..

Apple & Plum Oaty Crumble:

Serves about 4-6 (depending on greed!)

It's even colder today, it's Christmas card making and festive film watching weather so I plum(b)ed for something to warm us to the core....

Crumbles always give the impression of being as old as the hills, the sort of homely dish that the Yeoman of middle England have been returning horny handed to since not long after the Magna Carta was signed. But it was actually popularized during the war as a way eking out ingredients for pies and also as it doesn't need resting like most pastry it was easier for busy (and in some cases new to cooking) mums and housewives to make. Whatever it's easily one of the best puddings going, I've added some orange juice to counter the sweetness of the dessert apples and added oats to the crust for extra texture and flavour.

What you'll need.

Filling

1kg mixture of Plums & apples( Braeburns & coxes), peeled, cored and roughly chopped

Juice of one medium orange

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Good glug of sloe gin

Caster sugar to taste

Topping

90g plain flour

30g porridge oats (I had the ones with a man in kilt on the packet in the cupboard)

90g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

6 tablespoons light muscavado sugar

Time: 50-60 mins (most of it is stewing & baking time)

What to do:

1. Put splash of water in a large sauce pan to stop the fruit sticking and add the chopped fruit, sugar and the sloe gin and sprinkle on the cinnamon
2. Heat the mixture with the lid on until the juices start to run and the mixture is almost cooked.
   

Make the Topping:

1. Put the flour and oats in a large mixing bowl.


2. Add the sugar and the cubes of butter .


3. With your coolest hands rub in the flour until you've got breadcrumbs, the odd lump will add to the numblyness.


4. Put the cooked fruit into your pudding dish.


5. Sprinkle on the topping and then when you are ready put in a preheated oven (190C (Gas Mark 5)) for 25-35 mins depending on the dish/ oven and how caramelised you like it.
   
6. I won't offend anyone by telling you to eat with whatever you like with your crumble, I'd go for either custard or ice cream or even what we in our house always call Coronation Milk also as we all know it tastes just as good the next day.

NB: I made mine in half litre foil (takeaway) container so i few in freezer. I frozen them before cooking and will defrost them and cook them as above the portion above makes