Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

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Lemon & Poppy Seed Baked Cheesecake

A light and airy baked cheesecake, perfect with a cup of lemon tea .

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Lemon, Rose and Poppy Seed Baked Cheesecake

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 8

A baked cheesecake, flavoured with lemon zest, rose, cardamom and vanilla, dotted with poppy seeds.

 

Ingredients

For the flavoured sugar:

  • 200g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp dried rose petals
  • 2 whole cardamom pods
  • 2 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 whole vanilla pod, optional

For the cheesecake:

  • 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 200g flavoured sugar (as above) or use caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean extract or the seeds from one pod
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 500g curd cheese (or Polish white cheese, Twaróg)
  • 500g ricotta cheese
  • 3 tsp cornflour or potato flour
  • 25g poppy seeds

Instructions

  1. To make the flavoured sugar, mix the caster sugar with the rose petals, cardamom pods and lemon zest. Tip it out onto a tray lined with baking to allow the lemon zest to dry out. Leave for a couple of hours at room temperature and then transfer to a sealed container. You can also add a whole vanilla pod. This can be made up to a week in advance. Remove the two whole cardamom pods and vanilla pod before using.
  2. Pre-heat the oven to bake the cheesecake to 180C.
  3. Using an electric beater or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for five minutes until it is pale and creamy. Remove the cardamom and vanilla pods from the flavoured sugar and slowly add the sugar to the butter, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla bean seeds from the pod, or one teaspoon vanilla extract and beat again.
  4. Add in the egg yolks, one by one and mix until incorporated.
  5. Add the curd cheese and ricotta cheese. Beat well until smooth.
  6. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peak stage. Once stiff, using a metal spoon, gently fold the egg whites into the creamy cheese mixture. Stir in the cornflour or potato flour and the poppy seeds.
  7. Take a 20cm round spring-form cake tin, grease the bottom and sides and line the bottom with a circle of baking paper. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the tin. Wrap tin foil around the outside and bottom of the tin to protect any water from seeping in when baking in a bain-marie.
  8. Take a large roasting tin and half fill it with water to create a bain-marie. Gently lower the foil wrapped tin into the water and bake for one hour. The top should be golden and the centre a little wobbly but not too much. Leave the cheesecake to cool completely before releasing it from the tin and chill in the refrigerator, preferably overnight before cutting and serving. 

Notes

Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Courses Dessert

Cuisine Polish Inspired

 

With thanks to Waitrose for this commission.

Spot a familiar face in delicious. magazine January 2013

All I want for Christmas is…a copy of delicious. January 2013!  I know it’s not particularly humble or ladylike to shout from the rooftops about personal achievements, but I am so proud to share this with you. If you flick through a copy of the latest edition of delicious. out now – it is the January 2013 edition with a sublime red velvet cake on the cover – you may well spot a familiar face or two inside. I was asked by the very talented Persian food writer and supper club host, Sabrina Ghayour, if I’d like to take part in a feature and bring with me a Polish recipe. The idea for the party was that we’d each bring an individual dish, inspired by our heritage, to share. The result was an afternoon filled with great merriment, friends and cheer!

Delicious Magazine January It’s time to party like its 2013!

It was such a brilliant experience to be able to take part in such a fun-filled shoot, with the delicious. magazine team, including food editor Lizzie Kamenetzky, as well as the hugely talented photograher Dan Jones. I was able to see first-hand how a feature comes together, from making the food, to styling it, photographing it and yes, eating it!  It must have been like herding cats, as those of us who took part in the shoot were highly excitable particularly as we were being served some of the most wonderful cocktails by Michael Stringer from Hire the Barman.

Added to the champagne and dark chocolate and espresso martinis we were able to dip into a wonderful selection of food, as part of a menu described by Editor Karen Barns as, ‘ flamboyantly eclectic.’  Dishes and recipes within the feature include Prawn and water chestnut dumplings from China made by Ning Ma, Parsnip, celeriac, pea and potato samosas from India made by Asma Khan, an Artichoke, jamón and pine nut salad from Spain made by Chuse Valero, Stuffed chicory from Italy made by Emanuele Barrosso, Spiced lamb with chickpeas, orange zest and black garlic from Iran made by Sabrina and my very own Potato pancakes from Poland.

Dessert really was the pièce de résistance, as brilliant French baker Bruno Breillet had contributed his Salted caramel and cream cheese apple parcels. Let me tell you, they must definitely feature on your New Year’s Eve pudding list!

Salted Caramel Puds 

Aside from our very lovely feature, the January 2013 edition is packed full of recipes I can’t wait to try. To begin with, I’l be trying some of Trine Hahnemann’s Scandinavian treats. On the page before our feature you will find Diana Henry’s Beetroot-cured gavadlax. Having already made that for my sister’s 50th birthday party, I can assure you, it’s a real showstopper. The Frosted red velvet layer cake on the cover and on page 74 is a festive must-try, too.  

I was really delighted to have been part of this feature. Delicious. magazine had previously featured my mum’s Polish Pierogi with Blueberries and Whipped Cream over the summer. Watch this space for more Polish food related news to come. 

I do hope you pick up a copy, if you are not already a subscriber. If not, add a subscription to your Christmas list, pronto!  

With many thanks to Sabrina Ghayour, Dan Jones and to the delicious. magazine team for putting together such a fun feature.

So, who is coming to the party next time, and what are you bringing?!