Helga's Cheese Cake

Rev 0.31, last revised:  23-Sep-08

I've been searching for the recipe with which I could recreate the kind of cheese cake that my mother used to make for me when I was a kid.  I've been unable to find such a recipe, so I've undertaken to create it--by trial and error--from the results that I recollect.  This recipe, such as it is at the moment, is the current iteration of my quest.  Use it with caution...

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs, separated (not?)
• 1-½ cups sugar
• 1-cup unsalted(?) butter, at room temperature
• 1-teaspoon baking powder
• 4-cups quark
• 1-cup of flour
• Grated zest of 2 lemons
• juice of 1 ½ lemons (2)
• 6-tablespoons raisins (dry cherries)
• enough Rum to cover the raisins  (2 oz?)
• about 1/2 package of graham crackers pounded to crumbs for sprinkling the mold (bread crumbs can be used)
• Confectioner's sugar
• Strawberries, kiwis or other fruit for decoration

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Put raisins into enough rum or brandy to cover (They plump faster if the rum is hot).

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the yolks with the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted.  Beat in the butter.

Add quark and beat until completely smooth.

Add baking powder to the flour and dry-mix thoroughly.

Add the flour, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, and beat some more.

Stir in the raisins [and the brandy/rum?]

In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with clean, dry beaters until soft peaks form, and gently fold them, a little at a time, into the mixture.

Crunch up about 1/2 a package of Graham cracker crumbs...enough to yield about 1/2-3/4 cup or so.

Butter 10 inch spring-form pan, and sprinkle generously with crumbs.  Pour the cheese mixture into the pan and bake until the cake pulls away from side of the pan, ~1 hour.

Cool and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and decorate, if desired, with fruit.

Enjoy!