Why is this cheesecake recipe called ‘cheesecake of destiny’ because once you make it, it will be your destiny to eat cheesecake 

As it is Shavuot at the weekend and it is customary to eat dairy foods I had to make a delicious cheesecake.  This recipe is very easy and tastes lovely and rich.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium eggs
• 450g of cream cheese (I used a 1lb packet of Chevington)
• 60g corn flour or custard powder
• 350g caster sugar
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 packet of biscuits (I used Rakusen Honey Crunch)
• 60g margarine or butter

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 oC
2. Line a deep sided baking dish (I used a loose bottomed one) with baking parchment
3. Place the biscuits in a large bowl and crush them with a roll pin – very good for stress relieving.
4. Melt the fat in the microwave for 20 seconds on high and then combine with the crushed biscuits.
5. Using a large metal spoon press the biscuit mixture into the base of the baking dish, make sure you don’t leave any gaps.
6. Now in a large  bowl lightly mix the eggs, cheese, lemon juice & rind, & sugar.
7. Add the corn flour or custard powder and again, mix lightly.  Now take a balloon whisk and give the whole thing a good whisking!
8. Carefully pour the cheese mixture over the biscuit base.
9. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes and then test with the cheesecake with a knife to see if it has set.  You may need to bake the cheesecake for longer,  use your own judgement.
10. Allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven with the power OFF for half and hour.
11. Devour … or it does freeze well 

Wishing everyone a very Happy Shavuot!

Ingredients:

• 1kg apples
• 950g plums
• 50g rhubarb (about 1 large stalk, not the leaves as they are poisonous!)
• 25ml water
• 2kg granulated sugar
• juice of half a lemon and some of the peel
• a wooden spoon – not really an ingredient but Mother of Marge insists you use a wooden spoon not plastic or metal, so I have mentioned it here

A note about safety:  remember hot jam can be very dangerous and can scald skin badly.  Do not leave the jam in the middle to go answer the phone or the door, and do keep little kids and pets out of the way.

Method:

1. Prepare the fruit by washing it and chopping into small chunks.  I kept the skin on to increase the amount of pectin in the jam.  Pectin is important to make sure the jam will set.
2. In a big cooking pot (do not think a small diddy saucepan will do!) place the fruit in the pot along with the water.  I didn’t measure it exactly I just add two cookspoons worth of water.  Now this might not look much but as the fruit heats up it will give out a lot of liquid.
3. Heat the fruit and then allow it to simmer slowly to allow the pectin to be drawn out of the fruit.  Also if you don’t simmer the fruit slowly you end with crunchy fruit bits in the jam which is not nice.
4. Once the fruit is nice and soft (you should see a lot of extra liquid)  add all the sugar and stir it in well.  Make sure all the sugar is dissolved by ‘tamping’ the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon.
5. Now hold your nerve and bring the mixture to the boil, and boil rapidly for 10 minutes (not necessarily on the highest heat setting, but still boiling rapidly).  It is tempting to stir the mixture before this time but resist.  Clearly though if you think the jam is in danger of catching on the bottom of the pan then do, carefully give it a stir.
6. Test the jam by spooning a little onto a saucer and seeing if it has set, ie if  it drags when the saucer is tipped to the side.  You might need to let the jam boil for a bit longer.
7. Once the jam is ready, spoon it into warmed, sterilised jam jars (do this by scrupulously washing the jars, and then whilst still wet microwaving the jars for a couple of minutes in the microwave  - be careful the glass jars get hot).
8. Seal with a little clingfilm touching the surface of the jam, avoid any air bubbles.  Now put on the jam jar lid.  Allow the jam to cool … and then try not to scoff it all in one go!

   Btw, I’m not sure why the pictures are in the wrong order, but that’s computers for you!

Watch this space! 

Ingredients:

• fresh ripe figs
• honey
• balsamic vinegar
• creme fraiche or plain yoghurt
• vegetable oil

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 oC for 20 minutes.  (Remember I use a fan oven so you may need a hotter temperature)
2. Take your lovely fresh figs and give them a good wash
3. Now cut a deep cross shape in the top of each fig so that the bottom of the fruit remains whole, but so that you are able to push out the fruit into 4 ‘corners’, (a bit like a spiky tulip!)
4. Place the figs onto a baking tray.  I use a silicone liner sheet but this is not essential.
5. On to each fig spoon in 1 tsp of runny honey, a few drops of Balsamic vinegar (if you keep kosher make sure it is a kosher approved brand), 1/2 a tsp of vegetable oil.
6. Now bake the figs in the oven for about  20 minutes or so.
7. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or plain yoghurt

Seven Species of Israel

To mark Tu Bishvat I shall be posting some appropriate recipes, so watch this space.

Wishing everyone a very 'deer' Chanukah!

… btw, due circumstances beyond my control I have been unable to post the new chicken recipe, but have no fear I shall try and remedy this as soon as I can.

I would like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy and wealthy Jewish New Year and well over the fast.

Happy New Year

So here is a funny Shavuot video …  sing along to #Stay Up All Night!