Friday, December 21, 2018

Buttermilk and Honey Cheesecake


I am addicted to the Great British Baking Show (at least the earlier versions), and this recipe is inspired by prior co-host Mary Berry. The show also persuaded me to get a Slide-and-Hide oven for the Irish cottage. It’s a big surprise when the door slides out of your hands and sneaks under the oven, when you’re least expecting it!


As you can see, this recipe makes a relatively small (but thick!) cheesecake, which is fine unless you’re serving it to a dozen people over the holidays.



Buttermilk and Honey Cheesecake



1 8-inch round springmold pan with a removable base



Ingredients:



Mary suggested using sponge cake for the base. Me, I’m partial to a graham cracker crust, or in this case, a combination of graham cracker crumbs and finely chopped almonds. Held together by butter, of course. It’s easy to make.



Crust:



3/4 cup fine graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup finely ground blanched almonds 
1/4 cup melted butter



Combine the crumbs and the butter and mix. Press into the bottom of the pan.



Cheesecake filling:



8 oz. (1/2 pound) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

3 large eggs, separated

3 oz. sugar

2 Tblsp clear honey 

2 oz ground almonds (these should be finely ground)

1-1/2 oz. plain flour

1/2 pint buttermilk

Flaked almonds for garnish (optional)



Topping:



1 cup sour cream

2 Tblsp sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract





Instructions:



Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease the sides of the baking tin.



Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and beat until soft. Beat in the egg yolks along with 1 oz. of the sugar, the honey, the ground almonds, the flour, and the buttermilk (all at once).


In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the rest of the sugar. Fold the whipped eggs into the cheese mixture. Spoon the combined mixture into the pan, on top of the crust layer.




Bake in the preheated oven for about 75 minutes or until the filling is firm but still spongy.


Mix the topping ingredients together, then spoon the mixture over the top of the cheesecake, and return it to the oven for about ten minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool.


When it is cool, remove it carefully from the baking pan (slide a small rounded knife around the edge to loosen it) and slide it onto a serving plate.



Mary’s recipe called for sliced almonds sprinkled over the top—but I had other ideas!I decided that since it’s nearly Christmas, I’d garnish it with holly leaves (I just happen to have a holly tree out back) and some fresh cranberries for color.


And a holiday gift! The Lost Traveller will be the most recent book in the County Cork Mystery series, and will be released next month. I happen to have a few advance copies and I'm happy to share (don't worry--they don't change in editing). 

The book has received wonderful reviews so far, and I'll happily give all the credit to Ireland, which so many people fall in love with. Just leave a comment (with your email address) and I'll pick a winner next week. You'll have something to look forward to reading during your holiday! 


MAY YOUR HOLIDAYS BE WONDERFUL!

www.sheilaconnolly.com



17 comments:

  1. I Googled the Neff oven and watched the short video on it. I am in love!! Sure wish they had one in my apartment. It would make things so much easier in my kitchen.
    Don't you just adore Mary Berry? Thank you for sharing her recipe. I like the holly leaves on your cake.
    Thank you for giving away your book. I really do enjoy this series.
    Happy Christmas!
    debprice60@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The oven really is fun. Now I do understand why so many contestants on the show had trouble turning it on or getting the right temperature. And all the controls are icons, most of which I don't recognize. But it does bake evenly, and that sliding door makes me giggle, but in a small kitchen it makes sense.

      Delete
  2. Love your "County Cork" series! Just finished Tied Up with A Bow...Great short story. Looking forward to The Lost Traveller.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I want one of those ovens for my house - my oven door opens to leave a 2-inch gap between it and a cupboard . . .VERY inconvenient and I have the scars to prove it! The recipe sounds great.

    pjcoldren[at]tm[dot]net

    ReplyDelete
  4. The oven sounds fascinating!
    The cake is beautiful! Well Done.
    And another story? Perfect.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sheila, I love that show. Need to watch more of it. The cake is beautiful! ~ daryl

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would love one of those ovens. My kitchen was designed (not by me) with the stove in a corner. A door that went away would be awesome! The cheesecake looks absolutely delicious.
    Thanks for another story about Maura's life & the chance to win an advance copy.
    ryannaward (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh goodness my hubby and i make cheesecake every Sun afternoon and we are trying to perfect the blueberry cheesecake with the right amount of blueberries now we have it and we are hooked i am printing this one and see if hubby will make this one with me peggy clayton ptclayton2@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. The cheesecake sounds really good, I may have to try that myself! Thanks for the contest and Merry Christmas!

    mlduffer(at)att(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  9. The cheesecake is deadly! Loved Tied Up With a Bow. Ready for the next one!
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have a lot of cheesecake recipes going back years, but this one is a bit different--it's a light tangy mixture with a bit of crunch in the crust. I'm enjoying it! And I coveted the oven for years watching the show, and it seemed big enough for anything people made. But it's made in England, and not easily available in the U.S. I had to go to another country to get one!

    ReplyDelete
  11. The cake looks luscious. But I think I would remove the holly leaves, they are somewhat toxic and can have adverse effects on the tummy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The cheesecake looks delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I would love to win a copy of your newest book.
    cecilialyoung at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I never heard of that kind of oven. The cheesecake sounds delicious. I’d love to read and own your book.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This looks so delicious and I love the Great British Baking Show as well. Thank you for the giveaway and a very Merry Christmas to you! aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Something to read over the holidays sounds wonderful...Buttermilk and honey is a new one to me on Cheesecakes...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete