Traditional Cheesecake Recipe

Traditional Cheesecake Recipe

For the pastry (paste):
175 g/6 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
A pinch of salt
5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
75 g/3 oz butter, diced
15 ml/1 tbsp icing (confectioners') sugar

Cold water, to mix
For the filling:
75 g/3 oz butter, softened
50 g/2 oz caster (superfine) sugar

Grated rind of 1 lemon
175 g/6 oz medium fat soft cheese

30 ml/2 tbsp soured (dairy sour) cream or plain yoghurt
2 eggs, beaten
100 g/4 oz sultanas (golden raisins)

A little sifted icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

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 bread-crumbs. 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 18 cm/7 in square shallow baking tin (pan).

To make the filling, beat the softened butter with the 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.
Roll out the pastry trimmings and cut into thin strips. Arrange in a lattice pattern over the filling. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 35 minutes or until golden and set. 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.