Nigella Lawson New York Cheesecake Food

MANGO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Prepare cheesecake base: Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor. Process until they are almost fine crumbs. Add dark brown sugar and butter. Process until mixture clumps together like damp sand. Press mixture evenly into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and refrigerate while preparing filling.
• Prepare filling: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to boil. Peel and cut flesh from mangoes and purée in food processor until smooth. Add cream cheese and process until smooth. Add superfine sugar, and with motor running, add eggs one at a time through the processor's feed tube. Add lime juice, and process until blended.
• Place springform pan on a double layer of strong foil. Crimp edges up around pan to make a waterproof nest. Place foil-covered pan in a deep roasting pan. Scrape filling into pan and pour boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of cake pan.
• Bake until filling is set and wobbles slightly in the center (it will continue to cook as it cools), about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Discard foil and place pan on a cooling rack. When cool, refrigerate overnight. To serve, remove from pan and place on a serving platter before slicing.

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the base, process the graham crackers to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tip them into the pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filling.
• Put a kettle on to boil.
• Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.
• Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then add the sugar and custard power, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and melted chocolate and mix to a smooth batter.
• Take the springform tin out of the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of cling wrap, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath.
• Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling. Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about half way up the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.
• Peel away the foil and cling film wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the refrigerator once it is no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with plastic overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve.
• To make the chocolate sauce: very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and pour it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate.

NIGELLA LAWSON NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Crush the digestive biscuits to fine crumbs in a blender or food processor. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix. Press onto base of greased 24cm springform cake tin. Chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Mix the cornflour with the sugar and beat in the cream cheese, egg yolks and vanilla extract with an electric mixer (or by hand).
• Slowly pour in heavy cream and sour cream, beating constantly. Add the lemon zest.
• Clean and dry your whisk. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt to stiff peaks, then fold into the cheese mixture carefully.
• Scoop cheese onto base. Bake in a 170°C oven 1 to 1 1/2 hours without opening the oven door until golden brown on top. Turn off the heat and let the cake stand in the oven for two more hours. Open door, stand a further hour. Then chill it in the refirgerator for a few hours.
• Serve chilled, dusted with icing sugar and decorated with berries.