Baked cheesecakes like the one below are very popular in Germany, using quark, the almost zero fat skimmed milk cheese, as the main ingredient of the filling.
Filling
600 grams quark
4 eggs
150 grams sugar
250 ml milk
250 grams butter
2 tablespoons soft raisins
zest of 1 lemon
Pastry
40 grams butter
150 grams sugar
175 grams self raising flour
1 egg
Plus 1 large round cake tin tin foil extra butter for greasing
To make the pastry, combine the butter, sugar and flour thoroughly, then mix in the beaten egg to form a well-mixed, crumbly dough. Put in the fridge for an hour to rest and chill.
For the filling, separate the eggs and beat the yolks into the quark. Add the raisins, lemon zest sugar and milk and mix thoroughly. Rub the cake tin with a little extra butter, then remove the pastry from the fridge. Press it firmly into the sides of the tin to form a thin crust, which you should perforate by stabbing it at least 5 times with a fork. Melt the butter and stir into the quark filling. Beat the egg white until stiff and fold them gently into the filling. Pour this into the cake tin and bake in the middle of an oven preheated to 190 degrees centigrade. Bake for 45 minutes, then cover with some tin foil to prevent the top getting burnt and cook 15 minutes longer. Leave to cool completely, then trace round the edges of the tin with a knife and remove carefully. Makes about 12 portions.
Key Lime Pie
This classic American dessert originally comes from Florida, where condensed milk was often preferred over fresh in the days before widespread refrigeration. Apart from the time it takes to chill, key lime pie is actually a laughably quick, easy recipe to make. You'll find that the lime juice reacts rapidly with the condensed milk and egg yolks, thickening to a custard without the need for heating. Because it thickens without cooking, early recipes left the pie unbaked, but nowadays it's usually given a good blast in the oven to firm it up.
Ingredients
1 can sweetened condensed milk (400 grams)
150 ml whipping cream
4 egg yolks
4 limes
215 grams digestive or ginger biscuits
70 grams butter
Place the biscuits in a polythene bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a rolling pin or bottle. Put the beaten crumbs into a mixing bowl. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then pour into the biscuit crumbs, stirring until it is fully absorbed. Turn the mixture into a buttered medium-sized pie dish and spread it out evenly. Press the crumbs down to form a firm crust. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees centigrade, then place the pie dish inside and bake for 15 minutes. While it is baking, peel the zest off two of the limes, scraping of any white pithy residue from the underside and shred it into fine strands. Place the zest in a small bowl, pour over some boiling water and leave it to soften. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with the condensed milk and beat to a smooth liquid. Juice the limes and gradually stir into the mixture, beating all the time. Strain off the lime zest and stir it in. Spoon the lime filling into the biscuit crumb case and return it to the middle of the oven. Bake for 15 more minutes, then leave to cool. Once the pie is cool, transfer it to the fridge and leave it to chill overnight, or for at least seven hours. Before serving, whip up the cream and spread evenly over the top with a knife. Makes roughly 12 portions.
