Lemon cheesecake
A baked cheesecake of labneh and cream with lemon and orange zest on a biscuit base.
Ingredients
- For the base
- 250 g plain, dry biscuits (such as rich tea)
- 120 g butter, melted
- For the filling
- 1 kg labneh (strained yoghurt cheese), at room temperature
- 375 g caster sugar
- 144 g cornflour
- 337 g double cream
- 187 g fresh eggs (about 4 eggs)
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
Method
- Heat the oven to 170°C (conventional). Line the base of a 26 cm springform tin with baking paper. Crush the biscuits finely, mix them with the melted butter, press the mixture firmly into the base and chill while you make the filling.
- Mix the sugar and cornflour. Put the labneh in a large bowl, add the sugar mixture and beat until completely smooth and free of lumps.
- Add the fresh eggs one at a time, then the cream, lemon juice and the lemon and orange zest, and mix on low speed until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the base and tap the tin on the worktop to release air bubbles.
- Bake on the middle shelf for 65-75 minutes, until the edges are set, the top is pale golden and the centre still wobbles slightly.
- Turn off the oven, prop the door open and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour to reduce cracking, then cool to room temperature in the tin.
- Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, then remove from the tin and slice.
Note: Sprinkle a little extra lemon zest on top just before serving.
From Chef Fatma's notebook. Where the notebook listed only the ingredients, we wrote out the method for a home kitchen. Measures: 1 cup = 200 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml. Oven temperatures are for a conventional oven without a fan. If you have an allergy, please read the ingredients carefully.