Spanish Cheesecake--Tarta de Requesón

This cheesecake is simply the BEST, as Tina Turner puts it. It really is. The way a true cheesecake should be, perhaps I should say: the way a true SPANISH cheesecake should be.  

So, I'm just gonna cut straight to the chase, or should I say: to the cheese. I took me a long time to find this recipe but this chef in this elaborate blog, nailed it. Well done Juan Andres. I hope you don't mind that I share your recipe with English readers. 

INGREDIENTS:
-600 grams of requesón. 

-5 eggs.

-30 grams of cornflour.

-150-160 grams of sugar.

-200 ml of heavy cream.

-the zest of a lemon grated (my addition)

-a mold of 22 cm of diameter.

STEPS:

1. Very easy to do. Mix all of the ingredients with a hand mixer. 

2. Set your oven, heat up and heat down to 180 degrees.

3. Now place the cream mix in a mold, you can use oven paper to make it easier, like the pics.

4. Just bake it until it looks golden. You might have to turn off the top part if it starts to brown too much. The original recipe says 50 minutes, but my weak oven required one hour and 20 minutes....just keep checking until the knife comes out clean.

5. Once it is out of the oven you need to let it cool off. Once it is cooled, put it in fridge for some good hours.  THEN and only then, it will be ready.

SO SO good. I just could not believe how awesome this cake is. It is exactly the spongy cakes you can buy in Dia or LIDL. That type! not the flan ones. 

 

Jewish Apple Cake recipe

 My Jewish (french) recipe book that I found last year in Retiro park is a real gem. It has great simple recipes that always work. And here is another one. A simple apple cake that has only  simple ingredients and looks pretty impressive to bring to any meal you are invited to. This cake is a little dense and buttery but also delicate and perfect, the french influence is definitely there. I'd say it would impress anyone. Also after being in Holland, the country of appleflaps, oliebols, and apple cakes, I had to bake something like this cold winter.

INGREDIENTS:
-200 grams of flour.

-4 eggs.

-200 grams of powder sugar.

-5 grams of baking powder.

-160 grams of butter.

-350 grams of golden apples or royal (4 apples)

STEPS:

1. In a bowl mix the flour, the sugar, the eggs and the baking powder. At the end add the melted butter.

2. Wash the apples and cut 3 of them in pieces, no need to peel them. Add to the mix. Pour on the mold and now decorate with your 1 apple left that you have sliced. This touch really works.

3. Preheat oven to 180 and then stick there for about an hour, only turn on the oven in the bottom part, never ever grill or it won't rise. This is a big cake and it takes a good hour to bake.

So wonderful people. So easy. You can also try to add a yoghurt for a more spongy taste. If you do that, add also 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1+1/2 teaspoons of  baking powder.