Fresh cheesecake: How to make it at home with Claudia Martelloni's recipe from Charlotte
We're really missing Charlotte's desserts these days. Without the right equipment, skills, and ingredients, the results can hardly match the beautiful colors and flavors we've always admired on the counter of the small pastry shop in San Giovanni.
Here's her recipe, perhaps one of the most accessible, to guide you through the process at home, step by step, with some helpful tips at the end. These quantities will make a 20 cm diameter cake or about ten cheesecake glasses.
Ingredients for the base 250 g of “Digestive” biscuits 50 g of granulated sugar 100 g of butter.
- Ingredients for the filling
- 300 g robiola or other spreadable fresh cheese (such as Philadelphia)
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 30 g honey
- 1 vanilla pod the zest of
- 1 lemon
- 300 g good quality unsweetened fresh cream
Crust preparation: Blend the biscuits, mix with the sugar and melted butter (in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat). If making a cake, you'll need a springform pan: butter it well and line it completely with parchment paper. Then line it with biscuits, starting from the edges and pressing down firmly to create a compact, even layer, finally covering the base. Then, place the shell in the freezer to set. If making glasses, fill them with two spoonfuls of mixture and press down firmly to create a uniform base, then refrigerate.
Making the filling: Mix the cream cheese, sugar, honey, vanilla bean seeds, and lemon zest. Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for half an hour. Whip the chilled cream until it reaches a very soft, yogurt-like consistency, but not too stiff. Fold the cream into the previous mixture using gentle, upward movements to avoid deflating it. Pour it over the cake, smoothing it out with a spoon, or into glasses using a piping bag or a spoon. Place the cake in the freezer, or the jars in the refrigerator, for a couple of hours. Remove the chilled cake from the pan very carefully.
For decoration: You can top the cheesecake with fresh seasonal fruit of your choice. Alternatively, you can make a jelly with 200g of washed and blended fruit (e.g., strawberries and raspberries) and 6g of gelatin sheets. Heat the fruit puree, then dissolve the gelatin sheets, previously softened in water, in it. Then pour it over the cake or into glasses, and let it set in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Frequently asked questions: Can I use mascarpone instead of robiola? No. Can I replace granulated sugar with whole sugar? Yes. What if I don't have honey? Replace it with the same amount of sugar.
Pasticceria Charlotte, Via Vercelli, 12, Rome. Tel. 06 2539 9727. Facebook page.
