Inside Out / 145labne cheesecake with
citrus-scented blueberries
A light, lemony cheesecake that’s set with
gelatine rather than baked. This gives it
a soft, silky texture, rather than the damp,
mouth-sticking creaminess of the baked kind.
It makes a lovely summertime dessert,
especially when topped with a tumble
of citrusy blueberries.SERVES 8–10
base
150g ginger nut biscuits (ginger snaps)
80g wheaten (digestive) biscuits
110g unsalted butter, melted, plus
extra for greasing
labne filling
110g unsalted butter, softened
220g caster (superfine) sugar
3 eggs, separated
250g cream cheese, beaten with
a fork until very smooth
350g labne
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
250ml thick (double/heavy) cream
8 small gelatine leaves
citrus-scented blueberries
350g blueberries
75g icing (confectioners’) sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
and juice of ½ orange
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
equipment
23cm springform or loose-based cake tin- Grease the springform or loose-based
cake tin and line the base of the tin
with baking paper. - To make the base, put the ginger biscuits
in the bowl of a food processor and blitz to
medium-fine crumbs. Tip out into a mixing
bowl and blitz the digestive biscuits to
medium-fine crumbs. (Alternatively, put the
biscuits into a plastic bag and whack them
with a rolling pin.) Stir the melted butter into
the crushed biscuits. Tip into the prepared
tin and press in firmly and evenly. - To make the filling, combine the butter
and sugar in the bowl of an electric
mixer and beat with the paddle attachment
for around 4 minutes, or until very pale and
fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time,
incorporating each one thoroughly before
you add the next. Add spoonfuls of cream
cheese, beating it in well, then beat in
the labne, followed by the lemon zest
and juice. Set aside. - Pour 100ml of the cream into a small
saucepan and bring to a simmer.
“ Most of the recipes in this book are firmly
rooted in my own Lebanese background.
They are absolutely the things that I love to
eat and they never stray too far from my soul”
GREG MALOUF, AUTHOR & CHEF (PICTURED WITH LUCY MALOUF)+ Preheat your oven for
at least 20 minutes.
+ Prepare your equipment
by buttering the sides and
base of your cake tin.
+ Weigh ingredients carefully
before you start mixing.
+ Ingredients should all be
at room temperature andbutter and eggs should come
out of the fridge at least 1-2
hours before you start your
prep. This is important, as
cold ingredients will not mix
together easily and you
also risk ending up with
a curdled batter.
+ Butter and sugar must beenergetically beaten for at
least 4-5 minutes so the sugar
dissolves completely and
you have a pale, fluffy mix.
+ For maximum rise, cakes
should go into the oven as
soon as the batter is finished,
as the raising agent starts to
work as soon as it’s added.baker delights
This is an edited extract
from Suqar by Greg & Lucy
Malouf, published by Hardie
Grant Books, $55. Available
in bookstores nationally.- Soak the gelatine in cold water for a few
minutes until softened. Squeeze out the
excess liquid and add the gelatine to the
hot cream, stirring to dissolve completely.
Leave to cool to room temperature, but not
for too long, or the gelatine will begin to set
and become unworkable. - Meanwhile, whisk the rest of the cream
to medium-stiff peaks. Whisk the egg
whites to stiff peaks in a separate bowl. - When the gelatine mixture has cooled
a little, stir it into the filling mixture.
Using a large metal spoon, fold in the
cream followed by the egg whites. Pour
the filling into the tin and bang it on the
work surface a few times to allow the air
bubbles to rise to the surface and burst.
Refrigerate for around 4 hours, until set. - For the citrus-scented blueberries,
combine all the ingredients in a mixing
bowl and tumble together well. Spoon on
top of the cheesecake just before serving.
PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAN BENSON
Greg’s tips for successful baking