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About Cheese Cake:

Cheesecake is a sweet dish consisting of two or more layers. The main, or thickest layer, consists of a mixture of soft, fresh cheese, eggs, and sugar; the bottom layer is often a crust or base made from crushed cookies, graham crackers, pastry, or sponge cake. It may be baked or unbaked. Cheesecake is usually sweetened with sugar and may be flavored or topped with fruit, whipped cream,nuts, fruit sauce, and/or chocolate syrup. Cheesecake can be prepared in many flavors, such as; strawberry, pumpkin, key lime, chestnut, or toffee.
Cheesecake is usually served as a dessert.
An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece even prior to Romans' adoption of it with the conquest of Greece. The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes (πλακουντοποιικόν σύγγραμμα—plakountopoiikon suggramma).Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura includesrecipes for two cakes for religious uses: libum and placenta. Of the two, placenta is most like most modern cheesecakes, having a crust that is separately prepared and baked.It is important to note that though these early forms are called "cheesecakes", they differed greatly in taste and consistency from the cheesecake that we know today.
Modern commercial American cream cheese was developed in 1872, when William Lawrence, from Chester, New York, while looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel, accidentally came up with a way of making an "unripened cheese" that is heavier and creamier; other dairymen came up with similar creations independently. In 1912, James Kraft developed a form of pasteurized cream cheese. Kraft acquired the Philadelphia trademark in 1928, and marketed pasteurized Philadelphia Cream Cheese which is now the most commonly used cheese for cheesecake.
Almost all modern cheesecakes in the United States and Canada use cream cheese; in Italy, cheesecakes use ricotta; Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland use quark. Cheesecakes are most easily baked in a leak-proof springform pan, often paired with a water bath to more evenly distribute the heat. Because of the high density of most cheesecakes, they continue baking for some time after removal from an oven.
Whether baked cheesecake should be classified as a cake, a custard, a torte, or something else is a matter of debate.
The early Greeks considered it a cake. Some modern authors point to the presence of many eggs, the sole source of leavening, as proof that it is a torte. Still others claim that the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour prove that it is a custard pie.


Serves 12


Ingredients:

For the crust

1 ¼ up of Graham Cracker Crumbs
6 tbsp of Unsalted Butter, melted
¼ cup Sugar

For the Cheesecake 

5 8oz packages Cream Cheese room temperature
1 cup of Sour Cream
Zest of 1 small Lemon
4 Eggs
1 tsp of Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1 ½ cups Sugar
¼ cup All Purpose Flour

For the Berry Topping

¾ of a cup of Kissan Mixed Fruit Jam / or any Jam
Fresh Berries (optional)

Method:


1) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line the outside of a 10 by 3” spring form pan with aluminum foil, spray it with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

2) In a large bowl, mix together the crust ingredients until it forms a coarse crumbly mixture. Pour it into your prepared pan and press it evenly. Bake for 8 minutes and set aside while you make your filling.

3) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix together all of the filling ingredients for about 1 minute or until thoroughly combined.

4) Pour the mixture over your crust, and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes exactly.

5) Cool completely at room temperature then transfer to a fridge and cool overnight.










6) Add the preserves in a small pan / bowl (to microwave) and just heat it up enough to make the preserves a little easier to drizzle. Drizzle the preserves evenly over the top, and scatter your fresh berries all over the top.