Farm Cheesecake (alsace)

CHEESECAKE
2 c Small-curd cottage cheese
2 c Whole-milk yogurt
3 lg Eggs
2 tb Creme fraiche
— or heavy cream
1/2 c Sugar

CREDITS
— Patricia Wells, Bistro
— cooking, 1992
— ISBN 0 09 992340 8
— typed by Rene Gagnaux

(160 g all-purpose flour = 1 1/8 cup; 105 g butter = 7 tb)

Tarte au fromage blanc ferme d’Alsace.

The day before or on the morning of the day you plan to serve the
cheesecake, combine the cottage cheese and yoghurt in a food
processor. Puree. Transfer the mixture to a large sieve lined with
dampened cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Drain at room temperature
for 6 to 24 hours, until the mixture is very dry and firm. It is
ready to use when no more liquid drips from the sieve.

Pastry: place the flour, the butter, sugar and salt in a food
processor. Process until the mixture ressembles coarse crumbs. Add
the ice water and pulse just until the pastry begins to hold
together, about 6 to 8 times. Do not let it form a ball. Transfer the
pastry to waxed paper; flatten the dough into a disk. If the dough
seems too sticky, sprinkle it with additional flour, incorporating
one tablespoon at a time. Wrap the pastry in waxed paper. Refrigerate
for at least one hour.

Cheese cake: on a lightly floured surface, carefully roll out the
dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 10 1/2 inch
springform pan, lining the bottom and bringing the pastry halfway up
teh sides of the pan. Carefully press the pastry into the pan and up
the side, trying not to stretch it. Trim neatly with a knife. Prick
the bottom of the shell with the tines of a fork. Chill for at least
20 minutes, or wrap well and chill for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 oF (190 oC).

Line the shell loosely with heavy-duty foil, pressing well into the
edges so the oastry does not shrink while baking. Fill with pie
weights, or dry rice or beans – making sure you get all the way into
the edges – to prevent shrinkage. Bake just until the pastry begins
to brown around the edges and seems firm enough to stand up by
itself, about 20 minutes.

Remove the weights and foil and continue baking until lightly browned
all over, about 10 more minutes. Watch the pastry carefully, for
ovens vary tremendously and pastry can brown very quickly. Cool on a
rack for at least 20 minutes before filling. Leave the oven on.

While the pastry is baking, transfer the drained cheese mixture to
the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing
well after each addition. Beat in the creme fraiche and sugar until
well blended.

Pour the mixture into the cooled pastry shell. Bake until firm in the
center, from 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack. Unmold and serve at
room temperature.