Cheesecake is a family favourite and perfect way to celebrate Summer and showcase the lushious fruits available at this time of year.
To make things more difficult but more rewarding; here i will be making my own cream cheese and of course picking my own raspberries fresh from the garden.
To make 600g of cream cheese you will need;
A large saucepan, colander, large bowl and cheesecloth
2 Litres Whole milk
200mls Double cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 teaspoon of mesophillic cheese culture – comes freeze dried available via cheesemaking sites
2-3 drops microbial liquid rennet (vegetarian)
1/4 teaspoon of food grade Calcium Chloride powder (not essential but allows creamier texture)
Method;
Warm the milk and cream to 32 Celcius (90 Farenheit) – in this weather – just above room temperature in a large pan
Add remaining ingredients and importantly stir in an up & down motion for 30 seconds with a ladle to combine.
Place in a cool place at room temperature overnight or for 12-14 hours.
Once set – cut into 1 inch blocks and spoon into a colander lined with cheesecloth.
This will then need to drain in the colander for 1 hour and then taste, if a tangier cheese is required leave for another hour.
Then gather up the cheesecloth and hang for 12-14 hours over a sink or bowl at room temperature.
You can alter the texture by hanging for more or less time dependent on how creamy / soft you want the cream cheese, also after hanging you can stir in flavour if desired such as herbs or spring onion.
The cream cheese can then be placed into a container and kept in the fridge for up to 10 days.
To make the cheesecake;
Take 250g of Digestive biscuits and place them in a sealed bag before bashing them with a rolling pin into a fine crumb before placing in a mixing bowl. Melt 100g butter and add to the crumb. Combine well and the pour into a 18 or 20cm cake tin. Press down well with a fork and place in the fridge for at least an hour to harden,
Next; mix 400g cream cheese with 50g icing sugar and stir well before adding to the buttery biscuit base.
Top with plenty of raspberries and dust with icing sugar!