Cheesecake with Fromage Blanc and Raisins (Alsatian Käsekuchen)
Käsekuchen is a white cheese pie, a traditional recipe in Alsace. It represents the sacramentous dessert of Sunday lunchtime family meals. Because of its imposing size it is ideal to satisfy all gourmands. For the record, Käsekuchen or Cheese Pie is a classic of German cuisine. The first recipe for this pie is found in Nuremberg, in Anna Wecker's kitchen collection dating back to the 16th century. Many variations of the cheese pie exist.
Crust:
all-purpose flour, unbleached (400 g)
sugar (180 g)
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. whole milk
butter, room temperature (180 g)
1 pinch fine sea salt
Cheesecake:
fromage blanc 40% fat (900 g)
caster sugar (220 g)
1 tsp. vanilla sugar
6 eggs
cornstarch (30 g)
raisins (90 g)
half lemon, freshly zested
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).
For the Crust:
Arrange the flour on a board and dig a fountain. Pour in the center the caster sugar eggs, milk, butter cut into small pieces and salt. Mix the mixture into a ball and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Butter a baking tin (28 cm diameter and edges 6 cm high). Go for it with the dough lowered to a height of 5 mm and prick it with a fork to prevent it from swelling during cooking.
For the Cheesecake:
In a large bowl, mix the fromage blanc with ¾ of the caster sugar and the vanilla sugar. Add the egg yolks, cornflour, lemon zest and raisins.
Beat the egg whites. When they start to rise, pour in the rest of the sugar and continue whisking until you get a firm consistency, but not too dense either (You must be able to mix them without difficulty with the cheese mixture). Carefully add your eggs to your preparation. Pour this mixture over the crust.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3) and bake for 30 minutes more.
Test for doneness by insterting a toothpick in the centre. Remove the cake and place on a rack to cool.
Once cool, carefully remove from the pan and dust with confectioners' sugar.