Lemon Cheesecake

Who doesn't love a smooth, sweet-sour citrus flavor? Recently, cakes with lime or lemon flavor have become extremely popular, like the well-known loaf cake, which I also find extremely delicious. Although I didn't bake a loaf cake, my cheesecake manages to captures perfectly the intense lemon flavor that I was aiming for, without adding any sort of lemon essence. I decided to combine 2 of my favorite recipes, taking my classic cheesecake recipe (found also here) and the lemon curd recipe that I used for my tart (found also here). While most of previous ingredients and instructions do not change, I made some slight adjustments for the cheesecake, making less cheese mixture. That is because I decided to make the lemon curd the star of the cake and tip the scale in its favor, so too much cheese would have slightly prevented that. In this case, less is actually better. This being said, let's get to work!

*For this recipe I used a round baking tray with the diameter of 26 cm

For the base:

• 60 g unsalted butter, and a little extra for greasing the tray
• 200 g digestive biscuits

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. I baked the biscuit base at 150 Celsius for 10 minutes, then I let it completely cool down.

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

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. 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 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.

For the lemon curd: 

• 5 egg yolks
• 100 ml lemon juice
• zest from 2 big lemons
• 210 g granulated sugar
• 100 g butter high in fat

First I poured my freshly squeezed lemon juice through a strainer, to keep the pulp out. I put then all the ingredients above in a heat-resistant bowl which I put at Bain-Marie* for aprox. 20 minutes, continuously stirring, until the mixture became thick and shiny. It is important to stir slowly, in one direction, to prevent the mixture from separating. After the curd was ready I let it cool down and I poured it over the cheesecake, which I left over night (or at least 6 hours) in the fridge, until the curd thickened and had a jelly-like texture.

Feel free to decorate your cheesecake as you wish, I went for some fresh lemon slices and mint leaves for some extra color.

*Bain-Marie= heating our mixture over a pot of hot, almost simmering, NOT BOILING water, where our bowl does not touch the water in the pot. This technique is used because the steam created is a more gentle source of heat than the direct heat of the stove which could ruin our dish.

 Enjoy! :)

Tiramisu Cake

Summer has finally come and is therefore time for some fresh desserts. Especially during this weird times, now that I am finally done with my final exams, I get to spend more time inside so I'm trying to cook something at least every few days. As much as I like to bake, when is extremely hot outside I do not feel like adding some extra degrees by turning on my oven, so any "no-bake" dessert is my favorite. This time I decided to go with a classic, but with a twist. Instead of using the usual rectangular tray, I chose to use a 26 cm diameter round tray to make the Tiramisu resemble a classic cake a little bit more. The texture of the cake and the consistency of the cream, after left overnight in the fridge, allows for the tiramisu to keep its shape even when the wall of the tray is removed. The quantity of ingredients described above allowed me to "build" 3 layers of ladyfingers and cream, matching exactly the height of the tray.

Ingredients:

• 400 g ladyfingers
• 4 eggs
• 4 Tbsp. granulated sugar;
• 500 g Mascarpone
• 350 ml coffee
• Cocoa/ dark chocolate for decorating the top

First step was to prepare my coffee and let it completely cool down. If you are in a hurry and wanna speed up this process, you can put the coffee mug in a bowl with cold water and ice and the coffee will almost cool down by the time you are ready with the cream and the ladyfinger assembly.

Next step was to assemble my first layer of ladyfingers. Because I used a round tray, this step was a little tricky, as the ladyfingers were not filling the space perfectly, so I had to cut some of them and try to arrange the pieces like in Tetris, so they can fill the whole space. Don't worry about it too much, I can assure you the cake will still keep its integrity and look good.

Then, I managed to proceed with the cream. One important aspect of this stage is that once you are done with it, you do not stop until your cake is in the fridge. This is because you are working with whipped egg whites, so if you take too much time to assemble all the layers, the cream will lose its mousse-like texture. To prepare the cream I started by separating the eggs. Using a mixer (you can also do it by hand), I whisked the egg yolks together with the sugar until it was all dissolved and the mixture got soft and tripled in volume. You should get a very creamy, light yellow mixture. I added the Mascarpone to the egg yolks, this time whisking by hand, not with a mixer, until it was fully incorporated and there were no lumps.

In another bowl, with the help of a mixer, I whipped the egg whites until they got all fluffy and firm and passed the classic test, that is, if you turn the bowl upside down, they will not fall. With the help of a spatula I incorporated the egg whites into the Mascarpone mixture making only gentle, folding movements, so I can preserve the texture of the cream.

After the cream was ready, I quickly added the coffee over the ladyfingers. I like to pour coffee over them, when they are already arranged in the tray, and not the other way around, first dipping them in coffee. I usually pour around 2-3 tsp. coffee over each ladyfinger. Then I poured 1/3 of the cream on them and evened it with the help of the spatula, repeating all these steps until I completed all 3 layers.

Lastly, I powdered the top with cocoa, but if you like, you can also grate some dark chocolate. I left the cake overnight in the fridge and then served it in triangular cake-like pieces.

Enjoy!

Tort de ciocolata cu crema de mascarpone si afine

    Desi nu pot numi acest preparat un vestitor al primaverii, este unul dintre deserturile mele preferate pe care nu ezit sa il prepar ori de cate ori am ocazia, indiferent de anotimp. Blatul dulce si pufos de ciocolata se imbina perfect cu jeleul acrisor si crema cu fructe crocante, purtandu-te intr-un taram nemarginit al aromelor si senzatiilor, desertul fiind potrivit pentru orice ocazie.

Ingrediente

Pentru blat:

• 100 g + 40 g unt
• 100 g zahar pudra
• o pastaie vanilie
• 6 galbanusuri
• 6 albusuri
• 150 g ciocolata neagra
• 15 g cacao
• 100 g zahar tos
• 140 g faina
• 2 lg praf de copt

Pentru sirop:

• 250 ml apa
• 150 g zahar
• coaja de la o lamaie

Pentru crema:

• 500 g mascarpone
• 100 ml smantana lichida
• 100 g zahar pudra
• 200 g afine

Pentru jeleu:

• 300 g zmeura
• 3 Lg zahar
• 100 ml apa
• 10 g gelatina

    Pentru blat am mixat intr-un bol cele 100 g de unt cu zaharul pudra si vanilia pana ce am obtinut o consistenta cremoasa, apoi am incorporat pe rand galbenusurile. Intr-un vas separat am topit la Bain-Marie ciocolata neagra impreuna cu restul de unt si cacao, iar dupa ce compozitia s-a racit am amestecat-o cu crema de galbenusuri.

    Am batut albusurile la viteza mare pana ce acestea s-au intarit, apoi am adaugat treptat zaharul tos, obtinand astfel o bezea lucioasa, apoi am amestecat faina si praful de copt cu o treime din cantitatea de bezea, incorporand ulterior si restul cantitatii, ca bezeaua sa ramana in continuare pufoasa si aerata. Am combinat apoi crema de galbenusuri si ciocolata cu bezeaua, am pus amestecul intr-o forma de copt rotunda cu diametrul de 26 cm si am dat-o la cuptorul preincalzit la 180 de grade pentru cca o ora. Am lasat apoi blatul la racit.

    Am taiat apoi blatul in doua parti egale folosind un fierastrau pentru blat, dar poate fi folosit la fel usor si un cutit zimtat. Dupa ce l-am insiropat, am preparat crema, am asezat-o in straturi si am continuat cu jeleul. Pentru acesta am incalzit zmeura, apa si zaharul pe aragaz, obtinand un piure pe care l-am pasat apoi la blender si l-am strecurat pentru a obtine o textura cremoasa, iar la final am adaugat gelatina preparata conform instructiunilor de pe ambalaj. Tortul a stat peste noapte la rece.

Pofta buna! :)

Cake Pops

    Desi mereu mi-au sticlit ochii atunci cand treceam pe langa o cofetarie si le vedeam in vitrina, niciodata nu am incercat aceste Cake Pops pana sa imi gatesc singura. Desi compozitia nu este una neobisnuita, decoratiunile si forma fac acest desert demn de ocazii speciale. Greu de realizat? N-as spune. Necesita timp indelungat? Intr-adevar. Asa ca daca esti si tu hotarat sa-ti transformi pentru cateva ore bucataria intr-o cofetarie, iti sugerez sa te inamerzi cu rabdare si sa aloci acestor minuni dulci cam jumatate de zi. 

Ingrediente: 

• bete de acadea ( sau de frigarui)
• 160 g ciocolata neagra
• decoratiuni, nuca de cocos, alune pisate, etc.

Pentru blat:

• 190 g zahar tos
• 90 g faina
• 40 g migdale macinate
• 1 lg bicarbonat de sodiu
• 1 lg praf de copt
• 1 ou
• 120 ml lapte
• 120 ml apa fierbinte
• 60 ml ulei
• 1 lg esenta de vanilie

Pentru crema:

• 125 g mascarpone
• 130 g zahar pudra
• 2 lg lapte

    Primul pas este prepararea blatului. Am amestecat ingredintele uscate, am adaugat apoi oul, uleiul, laptele si esenta de vanilie si am amestecat 2 minute cu mixerul la viteza medie. Am adugat la final apa fierbite si am mixat pentru inca 30 de secunde la viteza mica apoi am turnat  aluatul intr-o tava tapetata cu hartie de copt pe care am lasat-o in cuptor pentru 35 de minute la 180 de grade.

    Dupa ce blatul s-a racit complet l-am faramitat marunt apoi am adaugat peste el treptat crema de mascarpone pana cand compoztia obtinuta a devenit destul de moale pentru a fi modelata (o sa fie nevoie sa-ti folosesti degetele). Am pus apoi amestecul la frigider pentru o ora.

    Dupa ce am scos aluatul de la frigider m-am ocupat de formarea bilutelor, iar pentru ca acestea sa iasa cat mai egale m-am ajutat de o cupa pentru inghetata . Dupa ce am format bilutele le-am pus la congelator pentru 30 de minute, le-am scos pentru a le infige pe bat si le-am lasat apoi la rece pentru inca 30 de minute. 

    Intre timp am topit ciocolata la Bain-Marie si am lasat-o sa se raceasca nu foarte mult,  cat sa ramana inca fluida. Acum vine partea amuzanta a intregului proces, pentru ca nu mai tine de reteta, ci de imaginatia ta. Scufunda bilutele in ciocolata si pune-ti imaginatia la incercare, dar misca-te rapid, pentru ca dupa ce tot procesul artistic a luat sfarsit, creatia ta trebuie sa stea la fridiger.

                                        Now be proud, cofetarule!
                                   Micul Chef iti ureaza pofta buna!

Tarta cu crema de mascarpone si fructe

Ma bucur sa revin dupa aproape doua luni de pauza cu ceva delicios si racoritor. Este un preparat usor si elegant, unul dintre deserturile mele preferate deoarece reprezinta echilibrul perfect: combinatia dintre blatul usor crocant si sfaramicios, crema dulce, lucioasa si fructele acrisoare.

Ingrediente:

• 100 g capsuni
• 150 g afine

( puteti folosi si alte fructe la alegere, precum mure, zmeura, visine)
Pentru blat:

• 125 g unt 
• 100 g zahar pudra
• 250 g faina
• coaja de la o jumatate de lamaie
• o pastaie de vanilie
• 2 galbenusuri mari
• 2 Lg lapte

Pentru crema:

• 500 g mascarpone
• 100 g smantana lichida
•  o pastaie de vanilie
• 3 Lg zahar pudra 

Timp de preparare: cca 1 h
Timp de asteptare: cca. 2 h 30 de minute
Timp de coacere: cca. 15 minute

 Pentru blat am amestecat ingredientele uscate, untul si galbensurile framantand usor cu buricele degetelor pana cand compozitia a capatat aspectul unor firimituri. Daca va intrebati cum procedam cu pastaia de vanilie, lucrurile stau destul de simplu: o crestam longitudinal cu ajutorul unui cutit, si scoatem cu grija semintele in care se regaseste toata aroma. Am adaugat apoi laptele si am framantat usor pana am obtinut o coca omogena. In general, aluatul de tarta trebuie sa fie sfaramicios, nu elastic, de aceea evitati sa framantati mai mult decat este necesat. Am pus apoi aluatul 2 ore la frigider.

Cu ajutorul unui facalet am intins aluatul si l-am asezat intr-o forma de tarta cu fundul

detasabil unsa in prealabil cu unt. Un alt lucrul important referitor la tarta este acela ca nu are voie sa creasca in cuptor, asa ca ne folosim de procedeul numit "coacere oarba". Astfel, inainte de a introduce tarta in cuptor asezam deasupra ei hartie de copt peste care punem uniform boabe de fasole sau orez, greutatea lor impiedicand-o astfel sa creasca. Acestea fiind zise, am copt tarta cca. 15 minute in cuptorul preincalzit la 180 de grade ( treapta 4 pentru gaz).

Pentru crema am amestecat vanilia, crema de mascarpone si zaharul si am adaugat treptat smantana lichida. Se poate adauga o cantitate mai mica sau mai mare de smantana in functie de consistenta dorita. Dupa ce blatul s-a racit complet l-am uns cu crema cu ajutorul unei spatule. Am decorat tarta cu fructele alese si apoi am pudrat cu zahar.

                                                              Pofta buna!

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