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This is a light, cold set cheese cream — a no-bake cheesecake filling built on soft fresh cheese, a cooked yolk base, meringue and whipped cream, held together with a little gelatine. It sets firm enough to slice cleanly but still eats soft and airy, with a gentle tang from the cheese and fresh lemon.

It is the kind of filling that does the work of a mousse and a cheesecake at once. Use it to fill cake rings over a sponge or biscuit base, to layer a terrine, or to pipe into individual dessert moulds. Because it sets in the fridge with no baking, the surface stays perfectly flat and smooth, ready for a jelly mirror, fresh fruit or a dusting of crumbs.

Ingredients

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Weight Per Unit: 1219
Number of Units: 2
Unit Size: 24 cm cake ring, filled about 5 cm high
WEIGHT
(grams) 		ALTERNATIVE METRIC INGREDIENT IMAGE CONDITION
A 450 15.8 ounces Neufchatel Cheese Neufchatel is a soft, fresh, spreadable cheese with a mild tang and slightly less fat than full cream cheese, which gives fillings a lighter body. Ordinary cream cheese can be used in its place. room temperature
B 120 4.2 ounces Sugar Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
for the yolk base
C 90 4.5 Egg Yolks Egg Yolk The egg yolk is the internal yellow part of an egg.
D 40 1.4 fluid_ounces Fresh Lemon Whole fresh lemons, used skin and all. Choose thin-skinned, unwaxed fruit if you can, as the peel is cooked and blended into the paste and carries most of the aroma. strained
E 5 0.2 ounce Lemon Zest Lemon zest is the thin, brightly coloured outer layer of the lemon skin, removed with a fine grater or zester without taking the bitter white pith underneath. It holds the fruit's aromatic oils and gives a fresh citrus lift to batters and creams.
fresh 		finely grated
F 5 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence Vanilla Extract is made with 100% pure vanilla beans. With a sweet, syrupy consistency, this Vanilla is ideal for use in icings, drinks and whipped cream as well as classic baking recipes. Vanilla Essence is commercially manufactured by chemicals and is more of a watery consistency as opposed to vanilla extract which is thicker and a lot fuller and richer in flavour. You can replace one with the other but use 50% more of essence. For example, for 1 teaspoon of extract, use 1.5 teaspoons of essence.
G 135 4.5 Egg Whites Egg White Egg white is the common name for the clear liquid (also called the albumen or the glair/glaire) contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms around fertilized or unfertilized egg yolks. The primary natural purpose of egg white is to protect the yolk and provide additional nutrition for the growth of the embryo (when fertilized). Egg white consists primarily of about 90% water into which is dissolved 10% proteins (including albumins, mucoproteins, and globulins). Unlike the yolk, which is high in lipids (fats), egg white contains almost no fat, and carbohydrate content is less than 1%. Egg whites contain just over 50% of the protein in the egg. Egg white has many uses in food (e.g. mousse) and also many other uses (e.g. in the preparation of vaccines such as those for influenza). room temperature
H 240 8.4 ounces Sugar Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
for the meringue
I 1 Cream of Tartar

Cream of tartar, also known as potassium bitartrate or potassium hydrogen tartrate, is a byproduct of winemaking. It is known as cream of tartar in context with cooking. It is the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid (a carboxylic acid).


In food, cream of tartar is used for:

  • Stabilizing egg whites, increasing their heat tolerance and volume
  • Stabilizing whipped cream, maintaining its texture and volume
  • Anti-caking and thickening
  • Preventing sugar syrups from crystallizing
  • Reducing discoloration of boiled vegetables


Additionally it is used as a component of:

  • Baking powder, as an acid ingredient to activate baking soda
  • Sodium-free salt substitutes, in combination with potassium chloride

A similar acid salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate, can be confused with cream of tartar because of their common function as a component of baking powder.
J 1 Salt Common salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in its natural form as a crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantities in seawater, where it is the main mineral constituent; the open ocean has about 35 grams (1.2 oz) of solids per litre, a salinity of 3.5%. Salt is essential for animal life, and saltiness is one of the basic human tastes. Salt is one of the oldest and most ubiquitous of food seasonings, and salting is an important method of food preservation.
K 1200 5.1 cups Thickened Cream Cream is used as an ingredient in many foods, including ice cream, many sauces, soups, stews, puddings, and some custard bases, and is also used for cakes. Perfect for pouring, baking, whipping or adding the indulgent touch to your favourite recipes. cold
L 50 1.8 ounces Gelatin Gelatin or gelatine (from Latin: gelatus meaning "stiff", "frozen") is a translucent, colourless, brittle (when dry), flavourless foodstuff, derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar way are called gelatinous. Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. It is found in most gummy candy as well as other products such as marshmallows, gelatin dessert, and some ice cream, dip and yogurt. Household gelatin comes in the form of sheets, granules, or powder. Instant types can be added to the food as they are; others need to be soaked in water beforehand.
powdered
M 100 3.4 fluid_ounces Water cold
2437

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Method

STEP ACTION DETAIL CONDITION
1 Prepare Line the cake rings or terrine moulds with a strip of acetate or baking paper and set them on a flat, level tray that fits in the fridge. If you are filling over a sponge or biscuit base, have it cut and in place first. Everything ready before the gelatine is melted, as the cream sets quickly
2 Bloom Sprinkle L (gelatine powder) over M (cold water) in a small bowl and leave it to stand without stirring. Swollen and spongy, about 10 minutes
3 Soften Beat A (Neufchatel cheese) with a paddle or spatula until completely smooth and free of lumps. Warming it for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave makes this easier. Smooth, soft and creamy, no lumps
4 Cook Whisk B, C and D (caster sugar, egg yolk and fresh lemon juice) together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, whisking constantly. Thick, pale and hot to the touch, about 75°C (167°F)
5 Mix Whisk the hot yolk base into the softened cheese, then mix in E and F (lemon zest and vanilla essence). Smooth, glossy and lukewarm
6 Whip Warm G, H, I and J (egg white, caster sugar, cream of tartar and salt) together over the pan of simmering water, stirring gently, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm, then whip in the mixer. Firm, glossy meringue that holds a peak
7 Whip In a separate clean bowl, whip K (thickened cream). Soft peaks only, still floppy; do not overwhip
8 Melt Melt the bloomed gelatine over hot water or for a few seconds in the microwave, then whisk it into the cheese base. Clear and runny, no more than hand hot, and evenly mixed through
9 Fold Fold the whipped cream through the cheese base in two or three additions, then fold in the meringue in the same way, working lightly with a large spatula. Evenly combined and airy, with no white streaks
10 Fill Pour or pipe the cream straight into the prepared rings or moulds, tapping the tray lightly to settle it, and level the surface with a palette knife. Flat, smooth surface with no air pockets
11 Set Refrigerate until firm before unmoulding or glazing. At least 4 to 6 hours, or overnight; firm to the touch and holding its shape

Important Notes

This batch makes about 2.4 kg of cream, enough to fill two 24 cm rings around 5 cm high, or a terrine mould with some left over for small moulds. For individual desserts the chef allows 105 g of filling per serve. Work quickly once the melted gelatine goes in, and make sure the cheese base is lukewarm and not cold before folding, or the gelatine will set in threads. Keep the finished cream covered in the fridge and use within three days. It unmoulds best straight from the fridge, warming the ring briefly with a cloth or a blowtorch. The flat, set surface takes a jelly mirror, glaze or fresh fruit very well.

Tools & Arrangements

Electric mixer with whisk and paddle, heatproof bowl and saucepan for a water bath, sugar thermometer, hand whisk, large spatula, palette knife, small bowl for blooming the gelatine, cake rings or terrine moulds, acetate strips or baking paper, flat tray that fits your fridge.

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