Basque Cheesecake, just like at La Viña

Serves : 8 people

Preparation : 15 minutes

Cooking : 30 minutes

Wait : 1 hour

Ingredients

17.6 oz of Philadelphia or well-drained cottage cheese. Avoid mascarpone (too high in fat) or Saint-Moret (too salty). As a general guide, Philadelphia contains 0.75 g of salt per 100 g.
3 eggs
1.8 oz of Pélardon or Rocamadour, or another soft, raw-milk goat cheese
1 ¾ cup of heavy cream or heavy cream
5.3 oz of brown sugar or brown sugar or muscovado sugar for even more flavor
1 cornstarch

Supplies and Utensils
parchment paper
blender
soufflé dish or a springform pan (watch for leaks!) measuring 19 or 23 cm, depending on the desired thickness

Instructions

Cut the goat cheese into small pieces.

Place the cream cheese, goat cheese, eggs, heavy cream, sugar, and cornstarch in the food processor bowl and blend until smooth and well combined.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Moisten the parchment paper before lining the bottom and sides of the pan.
Let it extend about 5 cm above the edge of the pan, as the batter will rise during baking.
You can trim off the excess paper around the edges.

Pour the batter into the pan.

Bake at 200°C for 15 minutes.
Then lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 15 minutes (a little longer or shorter depending on how brown it is; keep an eye on it toward the end of baking).

When you take it out of the oven, it will seem undercooked, but that’s normal. It will firm up as it cools.
Let it cool at room temperature for at least an hour, or even overnight (in the fridge in that case).

When ready to serve, remove the cake from the pan by gently lifting it with the parchment paper if you’re using a soufflé pan.

If you’re using a springform pan, simply remove the side panel.

To make it look appealing, you can decorate this cheesecake with a red fruit coulis or jam (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or even sour cherries to stay true to the Basque Country spirit!).

Notes

WHAT TO DRINK WITH THIS CHEESECAKE? A cider from the Basque Country, of course. Basque Country cider, or sagarnoa, is a traditionally dry, unsweetened cider characterized by its liveliness, slight acidity, and rustic aromas of fermented apple, sometimes complemented by subtle woody or vinous notes. Its dry, sparkling, and lively character will contrast beautifully with the sweet and creamy nature of the cheesecake. Be careful, though—sagarnoa has a significantly higher alcohol content than French cider, so it’s for adults only!