The crust and filling (as well as the meringue top) are baked all at once, rather than in separate stages like many North American style cheesecake recipes.

 

Crust:

1  ¾ cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup granulated sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/8 tsp salt

¼ cup milk

 

Filling:

1/3 cup raisins (optional)

2 capfuls artificial rum flavouring

5 eggs, separated into 5 yolks and 3 whites (for filling), reserve 2 whites (for meringue)

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 pound (454 grams) quark or ricotta cheese (or cream cheese)

1 cup fat free sour cream

¼ tsp cream of tartar

salt

Meringue:

2 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.   Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan.

For the crust, cream together the butter and sugar.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  With a rubber spatula or by hand, blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture.  Add the milk in stages, stirring after each addition only long enough to combine.  Press the dough into the springform pan, bringing it up the sides an inch or so.

Soak the raisins in the rum flavouring.  Combine the egg yolks, butter and sugar with an electric mixer and beat for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add the flour, cheese, and sour cream and mix on low until just mixed.  Stir the raisins in next.  With cleaned beaters, in a clean bowl, beat three egg whites until stiff, adding a little salt at the beginning and ¼ tsp cream of tartar once they begin to foam.  Fold the whites into the rest of the filling and then pour it into the unbaked crust.

Prepare the meringue for the top by beating the remaining two egg whites until they are stiff, again with a little salt at the beginning and ¼ tsp cream of tartar added once they begin to foam.  Spread the meringue evenly over the top of the filling, right to the edges of the pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Let it cool on a rack for 1 hour and then serve it warm, or follow this by refrigerating for 4 hours to serve it cold.

 

Hints:

Extra sour cream can be used to make up the full amount if you have only a 375 gram container of quark.

 

–Submitted by Jean S.