SUSAN’S OLD CHEESECAKE

This was my old cheesecake recipe, long before I started experimenting with light cream cheese, dry curd cottage cheese or with no fat cheeses. I still make it for festive occasions, but I no longer double the recipe, we can’t eat like we used to.

SUSAN’S OLD CHEESECAKE

Crust:

1 cup graham crumbs
1/2 cup almonds, ground
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp almond extract

Filling:

2 packs Knox Unflavoured Gelatine
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup boiling water
1-1/2 cups cream cheese 
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp grated lemon zest
spring form cake pan
parchment paper
Toppings:

Fresh Berries

or Berry Sauce:

1 cup fresh or frozen berries 

3Tbsp sugar

or Chocolate Chip Glaze:

1 cup of chocolate chips

water

• Use no larger than a 9 inch cake pan; mine is 7-1/4 inches.

• Line the bottom of the spring form cake pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper will help sliding the cake onto a platter. 

• Combine the crumbs, almonds, melted butter, and almond extract.

• Press into a spring form pan.

• Freeze for 1/2 hour.

• In a small bowl combine the gelatine and 1/2 cup of sugar.

• Add 1 cup boiling water; stir constantly, until gelatine completely dissolves.

• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, and ricotta cheese smooth.

• Add the whipping cream and continue beating.

• Slowly beat in the dissolved gelatine, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla and the zest.

• Pour mixture over the prepared crust.

• Chill for 6 hours.

• Serve with berry sauce or chocolate chip glaze or both.

Berry Sauce: Simmer 1 cup fresh or frozen berries with 3Tbsp sugar until sauce thickens.
Chocolate Chip Glaze: Place 1 cup of chocolate chips in a cup. Add enough water to come up to the level [almost] of the chocolate chips. Microwave it until melted; stirring at intervals. Put through a sieve. Spoon over cheesecake and chill until chocolate solidifies.