3 Lemons Cheesecake

The 3 lemons- Cheesecake, sauce and candied. The sweetness of the cheesecake balanced with the lemon tang. An impressive recipe that seems like you have been slaving away in the kitchen all afternoon :)

Wooden Spoon Rating:

The Lemon cheesecake is one of the few desserts that has survived the test of time without being labelled ‘out-dated’, ‘old school’ or ‘Daggy Nanna’s Recipe’. I have always been a lover of cheesecake and I am behind the worthwhile cause on avoiding the cheesecake disappearing from the modern cookbooks.
Cheesecake is an all occasion cake- Christmas, birthdays and BBQ’.s I make this lemon cheesecake every year for my dad for Christmas and sometimes more frequently when a celebration calls for it.  This recipe is a simplest one which includes no baking and can be done with relatively few utensils- what more could you want?

Now For the Recipe:

Method:

1. BASE- To start, blend up all the biscuits in a food processor (or as a form of anger therapy use a freezer bag and a rolling pin). Mix the melted butter though to get a crumbly texture. (If there is too much butter the base will become hard when set making it difficult to cut.

2. Press the biscuit mixture into a spring form pan- about 0.5cm thick. Place in the fridge to set. (I like to line my pan with baking paper- makes it easier to transfer to a serving plate.)
3. FILLING-To make the filling, place the cream cheese into a mix-master and beat until soft and smooth. This may take 10 mins but a little trick is to put the cream cheese in the microwave for 20 secs- this will reduce the beating time to 3 mins (pretty cool, or should I say warm!)
4. Slowly add the condensed milk until combined
5. Prepare the gelatine either mixing the powder in 50mls of hot water or soak the gelatine leaf in water for 5 mins, squeeze the excess water out then add it to hot water and stir to dissolve.
6. Next slow the speed of the mix master to low then add the lemon juice, lime juice and orange juice. Once mix through add the gelatine.
7. Once combined fold in the cream then pour the mixture onto the base and refrigerate for 2 hours
8. CANDIED LEMON- Heat the a sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until it reached the boil. Add the lemon and continue to cook for 12 mins. At this point the lemons should be translucent

9. Spray a cooling rack with oil and then place on top of baking paper (helps with the cleaning up). Place each lemon slice onto the rack to cool. Pour the sauce into a container and place in the fridge (this will thicken up).

10. SERVING- Now the fun bit- Take the cheesecake out of the baking pan and top with candied lemons (those who were able to resist the urge to eat them prior (yes you know who you are). Drizzle the sauce over the cheesecake and EAT!

Volia.

Candied Lemon adapted from Donna Hay Candied Lemon Cake