Classic cheesecake

For those of you who do not know me, I have to admit I adore cheesecakes. Baked or just chilled in the fridge, with fruits or chocolate, I could never refuse such a portion of joy. Today I decided to take advantage of this cold Sunday, treating myself with something sweet and sharing with you some of my little tricks.

Ingredients ( I used a round  baking tray with the diameter of 22 cm).

For the base:

• 40 g unsalted butter, and a little extra for greasing the tray
• 150 g digestive biscuits

For the cheese mixture:

• 250 g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia) 
• 250 ricotta
• 250 g mascarpone
• 3 large eggs
• 100 g granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. semolina
• 2 tbsp. vanilla essence
• juice and zest from one lemon
• 2 Tbsp. cognac

First I greased the baking tray with butter and I covered its base with baking paper. Then I preheated the oven at 150 degrees Celsius/ level 2 on gas and in the meantime I started preparing the biscuit base.

In a kitchen robot I crushed the biscuits until they had the texture of breadcrumbs. You can also do this step by hand. Just put the biscuits in a bag, cover it with a kitchen towel and find something heavy, like a meat hammer or even an empty wine bottle to crush it until the biscuits inside have the right texture. After my biscuits were ready I mixed them with the melted butter. If you are using a kitchen robot it will be easier for you to mix them, but by hand is also fine. I added the mixture in my baking tray, spreading it evenly, and then I used the bottom of a glass (you can also use your hands) to press it into the tray and make sure it is well compressed and even. It should look similar to my picture. I baked the biscuit base at 150 Celsius for 10 minutes, then I let it completely cool down.

Next, in a bowl I mixed the cheese with the sugar and semolina. Then I added the eggs, one by one, until fully incorporated, and lastly I added the vanilla, lemon and cognac. I poured the mixture over my biscuit base and I baked it at the same temperature for 80-90 minutes, until it became golden and the sides were golden brown (check the picture). Try to pay attention to your cake after 70 minutes have passed.

! Even though the cake is baked, the mixture will still be soft and creamy, therefore you need to leave the cake to completely cool down, so the cheese mixture can fully thicken. I left my cake to cool down in the oven, with the door open, which I also recommend you to do.

After this step is complete, your cheesecake is ready. Feel free to decorate it as you wish, add fruits, chocolate, or keep it simple and eat it like this. Either way, I can guarantee you it is delicious.

Enjoy! :D