Pastries Dessert Recipes - Traditional Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

• 175g/1 1/2 cups plain flour

• a pinch of salt

• 5ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 75g/1/3 cup butter, diced

• 15ml/1 tbsp icing sugar

• cold water, to mix

For the Filling

• 75g/1/3 cup butter, softened

• 50g/1/4 cup caster sugar

• grated rind of 1 lemon

• 175g/3/4 cup medium-fat soft cheese

• 30ml/2 tsp soured cream or plain yoghurt

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 100g/2/3 cup sultanas (golden raisins)

• a little sifted icing sugar, for dusting

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Method:

1. To make the pastry, sift the flour, salt and cinnamon into a bowl. Add the butter and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Stir in the icing sugar. Mix with enough cold water to form a firm dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface and use to line an 18cm/7 in square shallow baking tin.

3. To make the filling, beat the softened butter with sugar, lemon rind, cheese and soured cream until smooth. Gradually beat in the eggs and sultanas. Spoon into the pastry-lined tin and level the surface.

4. Roll out the pastry trimmings and cut into thin strips. Arrange in a lattice pattern over the filling. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/gar mark 4 for 35 minutes or until golden and set.

5. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then cut into squares and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving.