This one’s from my new daughter in law, Avigail. I bentsch you all to get a daughter-in-law like her, but being that I think there are none (I’m not even partial!), at least enjoy her recipe! I served this to my parents once right after they arrived from overseas. As my mother was having some with her coffee, she insisted on writing down the recipe right then and there, she enjoyed it so. I tried different versions of it (I love cheesecake, so that was no problem) and all were special, light, and airy, and easy on the waistline. Enjoy!
Ingredients
10 egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 envelopes vanilla sugar (3 Tbsp)
4 rounded Tbsp potato starch
2.2 lbs (1 kilo or 4 250 gram / 8.5 oz containers) white 5% cheese (gvina levana)
1 1/4–1 1/2 cups sour cream (I used the low-fat, 9% variety)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C).
Beat the eggs whites till stiff, gradually adding the sugar. While the mixer is at low speed, add the rest of the ingredients just until they are incorporated. Don’t over-mix. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan (you will have a little batter left for an additional small pan) and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 300°F (150°C) and continue baking for another 50 minutes. Leave the cake in the oven for at least a half-hour to cool.
Tip It’s advisable to place a pan with water on the bottom of the oven and leave it there while the cheesecake is baking. I usually do this step while preheating the oven. This insures that the cake will stay high and not fall.
Note There is an optional cream that you can make for this cake if you make it during the year: Beat together 1 heavy cream (shamenet metukah), 1 cup milk, and 4–5 Tbsp vanilla instant pudding powder. Spread this on the cooled cake. Also, you can add 1-1½ tsp of very finely chopped lemon and/or orange rind when making it all year. It adds amazing flavor. You can also substitute corn starch or vanilla pudding powder instead of the potato starch during the year.
FAQ What do I do with all those yolks? I actually tried making this cake and incorporating half the yolks into the batter together with the cheeses. It was delicious — and a little thicker, as opposed to spongy. You can use them in any kugel you’re making.
Tip To get that real smooth cut when you slice your cheesecake (see photo), dip the knife in very hot water and rub it dry before cutting each slice.
This recipe originally appeared in Mishpacha Magazine.
Photos by Daniel Lailah
Food Styling by Michal Lebowitz
