Cheese Cake

Ingredients

• 1.225 gram butter, for pastry
• 2.2 tablespoon sugar, for pastry
• 3.1 tablespoon cream, thick; for pastry
• 4.225 gram plain flour, for pastry
• 5.salt, pinch; for pastry
• 6.2 eggs, for pastry
• 7.2 teaspoon baking powder, for pastry
• 8.450 gram cream cheese, for filling
• 9.0.5 cup sour cream, for filling
• 10.0.5 cup sugar, or less to taste; for filling
• 11.2 teaspoon plain flour, for filling
• 12.2 eggs, for filling

Method

1. 1.PASTRY: Cream butter and sugar. Add salt and eggs one at a time. Add cream and lastly flour and baking powder. Take two thirds of the dough and roll to ⅓ inch thick.
2. 2.If dough is too soft to handle, a little extra flour may be used in the rolling. Lift dough into a greased and floured 9" dish. Press down and trim sides. Smear the base with egg white to prevent sogginess. Let this dry while making the cheese mixture.
3. 3.FILLING: Mix all filling ingredients well and pour into the base.
4. 4.Roll remaining pastry dough into strips and decorate as desired. Brush strips with beaten egg.
5. 5.Bake in a warm oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes, then reduce to 300°F (150°C) and bake until the crust is golden brown.
6. 6.Turn oven off and let the cake cool in the oven with the door left slightly open. This prevents sinking or cracking of the cheese filling.

Notes

• An old-fashioned baked cheesecake in a shortcrust pastry shell — not a biscuit-base cheesecake.
• Cooling in the oven with the door ajar is essential to prevent the cheesecake from cracking.
• The pastry makes a generous quantity — the remaining third forms decorative strips on top.