Ingredients
- 1 graham cracker or other cookie crust, or a regular pie crust
- ⅓ cup superfine sugar
- ⅓ cup (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, softened to room temperature
- 6 oz farmers cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup yogurt
- 2 large eggs, beaten well
- grated zest of 1 large lemon or a small orange
- ½ cup chopped up dried fruit such as apricots, prunes or golden raisins, or ½ cup fresh blueberries (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Follow directions for your favorite graham cracker or cookie crust. If using regular pie crust dough, roll it out and line a greased 8-inch tart or pie pan.
- Prick the bottom several times with a fork and bake for 10 minutes to crisp the crust. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a bit before filling.
- Let the cheeses and butter soften to room temperature. If you don’t have superfine sugar, put it in a blender or food processor and pulse until fine.
- In a food processor, add the butter to the sugar and pulse to cream until light. Add the softened cheeses and yogurt, and pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs and process until smooth and creamy. Pulse in the zest just until evenly mixed.
- If not using a food processor, in a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light. Add the softened cheeses and yogurt, and beat together until well blended. Beat in the eggs and mix very well. Stir in the zest and, if using, the dried fruit.
- Once the filling is ready, fill the cooled pie shell with the mixture. Put the cheesecake into the very hot preheated oven, then immediately turn the heat down to 350°F. Bake until the filling is set, about 25-28 minutes. Let cool.
- Serve with fresh fruit or berries and whipped cream.
Notes
Once baked and cooled, this cheesecake is also good with your favorite fruit preserve spread gently on top.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Ashkenazi