CAFE SOCIETY

OK, I confess I love relaxing with a coffee & sometimes a yummy pastry. Southern Europe has the climate which has helped create the cafe society. Taking time out to enjoy an aromatic cup of cafe creme outside under a shady parasole is not a treat, more a daily ritual for most French. Its where all the local chatter is discussed & most cafe owners are quite happy for you to eat & enjoy a tasty treat you have bought from a nearby patisserie, very civilized! This leaves only one problem, which pastry or cake to choose, the selection can be quite daunting. I find it works best when you are with a group of friends, then you can share from a box of creamy delights, or arm wrestle!. The photo says it all, hands diving in from all sides.

oh which one?

Quick!

Our local boulangerie in Duras asked my advice this week on cheesecake recipes. Marilyn's father is the cake maker & he said the English make the best cheesecakes, I thought it was the Americans but I didn't argue. I went home & had some fun tinkering in the kitchen with some simple ideas that might be useful, & this was the result, a no bake lemon cheesecake, recipe below.

200g digestive biscuits, crush in a bag with a rolling pin. 100g melted butter, add the biscuits & stir till all the butter is incorporated. Press into a loose form ring tin 20cm, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Gently warm a jar of ideally home made lemon curd check out my Blog dated  1/24/12 for recipe. Meanwhile soak 2 leaves of gelatine in water for 5-6 minutes, squeeze the water out with your hands, stir into the warm lemon curd. Once the lemon curd is cool stir it into 250g of  Mascapone  cream & 350g of creme cheese like Philadelphia. Spread the lemon cream mix on top of the biscuit base, chill in the fridge for 12 - 24 hours, as simple as that but really tasty.

Lemon cheesecake

So put your feet up with a cup of coffee & enjoy a slice of cheesecake heaven - Bon appetite!