Eva's Cheese Cake

Today I like to share a very simple but amazing recipe for a cheese cake.It is sort of a double baked cheese cake with a sour cream topping. The topping is very soft but makes the entire cake even more delicious

The name comes from the owner of Soneva Fushi, Eva. She just simply loves cheese cake and this recipe is one of the favorites since many years.

I do love my cheese cake too and have to admit that this one is really a stunner. The only challenge is that is does not keep well, the topping will be starting to run off after a day, so either you cook and eat the cake on the same day, best place it in the freezer, then it is easy and when it defrosts, the cake stays nicely in shape

I like to serve a freshly made berry sauce with it, leave it chunky for some more texture. The acidity of the berries will go perfect with the creamy richness of the cake

so here is the recipe

Bottom
50 Ml Melted butter
125 G Biscuit


25 G Sugar

Place biscuit and sugar in a food processor bowl for 20 seconds until is finely crushed.
Transfer to another bowl, add melted butter and mix it till to combine.
After that spread it as the base on to a cake ring and press well.

Cream Cheese Mix
1400 G Cream cheese
250 G Caster sugar
20 Ml Vanilla essence
20 Ml Lemon juice
6 Ea Eggs

Use an electric whisk and beat the cream cheese and caster sugar until smooth
Add egg, one by one in to the cheese mixture and then mix it well
add vanilla essence and lemon juice in to the cheese mixture and mix all together
Pour mixture on to the base of the biscuits and bake it in hot oven at 200 °C until it becomes golden color.

Topping
1500 G Sour cream
250 G Caster sugar

Combine sour cream and caster sugar until its smooth
Pure over top of cheesecake and then bake it for 200 °C until it become golden brown color.
Keep it cool and then serve it.

Brazo de Mercedes

We are going sweet again, very sweet I have to say and I love it. I am a sucker for sweet desserts and this dessert is sweet, very sweet. For this reason I will actually give you 2 recipes, one is the original Brazo De Mercedes and the other one is slightly changed, I added a bit Passion fruit juice that gives it a bit of an edge and instead of Condense milk I make a Vanilla Custard, like this it is not as sweet anymore, hehehe, but still sweet.

This is another Cake from Philippines, so after the Buko Pie and the Sansrival, this is already my 3rd cake on the Blog that comes from this beautiful Country. There are so many more recipes and I am slowly getting them all together to have a nice recipe collection of Pinoy Recipes

The Brazo De Mercedes is actually very easy to make, but it needs a little timing with the baking of the Meringue as you don't want it to dry out, so take the time and check your oven often, you want it baked, but not too much color, that is really important. The Meringue must be nice and moist that it can easily be rolled later with the filling on it.

Now here the Recipes

Original Brazo De Mercedes

12 ea Egg White

300 g Sugar

50 g Corn Starch

1 Tin Condense Milk

20 ea Egg Yolks

Method

For the Meringue whisk egg white with one quarter of the sugar to soft peak, then add the rest slowly, beating it all the time. Ad the end mix the corn starch with some sugar and add it too.

Spread the mix on a baking tray with a non stick mat on it (Flexipan) then bake in the oven at 160 C for about 10 minutes

Cool the Meringue down

Mix the condense Milk with the eggs and beat in a bain marie till very thick and creamy

Pour on top of the meringue, roll tightly and cool in the fridge till completely cold

Passion Fruit Brazo De Mercedes

12 ea Egg White
300 g Sugar
50 g Corn Starch

1 Tin Passion fruit concentrate
12 ea Egg Yolks
350 ml Cream
0.5 ea Vanilla Bean
10 g Corn Starch
50 g Sugar

Bring the Passion fruit concentrate to a boil, take off the heat. Add the sugar first, then all the other ingredients.

Put the filling back on the heat and bring to a boil. The corn starch will prevent the eggs from curdling, but the mix needs to boil up, just briefly to activate the corn starch

Then pour on top of the Meringue, roll tightly and cool in the fridge till completely cold.

Sansrival

Today I am giving you the recipe of one of my all time favorite cakes in Philippines, The Sansrival. This is a special cake mainly made in Pampanga, but one can find it in other places too. It is a very labor intensive cake that requires a lot of love in the preparation, but the result is so delicious. The cake is rich, don't eat too much of it as it is basically just butter, sugar, a bit almonds and some eggs, then everything is layered so one has the crunchiness and the sweetness.

This Recipe is from our Pastry Chef Jamie who took the time and made this cake for my Birthday. We had a little drink after service in the galley with more Filipino food, some Sisig, yummy and some Pancit, a couple of beers and everybody was happy

My Galley Team and me having a Birthday Drink

Sansrival, Japonais Sheets

850 g Egg white

850 g Sugar

560 g Almonds, ground

Beat the egg whites to soft peak, then add the sugar slowly and beat till the sugar has dissolved and you have a firm Meringue. Then add the ground almonds and fold them into the Meringue. Spread the mix on baking sheets, makes squares of about 40 x 30 cm (13 inch x 10 inch) and about 5 to 6 mm in height (0.25 inch)

The batter here is called Japonais batter in the pastry world, so if you want to use a fancy word, like I like to to, you just got a new one!! The moment the Japonais Batter is baked it simply becomes a Japonais

Bake the sheets at 180 C till golden brown and slightly crisp. Take the Japonais out the oven and cool to room temperature

Sansrival, Filling

300 g Water

900 g Sugar

30 ea Egg yolk

1.125 kg Butter, soft

Bring the water together with the sugar to the boil, take off the stove and cool down slightly. Put the egg yolks in an electric beater , put on high speed and pour in the hot sugar syrup slowly. Beat the eggs till the batter reaches room temperature.

The mix the egg batter with the soft butter.

Now the layering of the cake starts. First take one sheet of the Japonais, then spread the butter cream on it, followed by a Japonais. This goes till you have used up all the ingredients. Always press the Japonais sheets carefully, but firmly on to the Butter Cream.

Then chill the cake in the fridge till the butter cream is hard, only then cut the edges of the cake in a straight line and top the cake with toasted almond slivers

Here you can see the layers of the Cake clearly

Buko Pie

I was thinking since a long time to write about the Buko Pie. Simply because were we live there is plenty of shops selling Buko Pie. As usual one always drives past them (which in one way is a good thing because if you stop and taste you will get addicted to them) but I wanted to stop and try one.

We don't live in the traditional area for Buko pie, but a very good friend of my Fiancee has a little shop in Tagaytay, selling among many other things a home made Buko Pie. So off we went, driving quick to Tagaytay to buy some Buko Pie. For me this is one of the best Buko Pies you can get, you just need to try one.

But what is Buko Pie? Buko is Tagalog for a young coconut and to make the pie is actually very easy. I will give you the recipe below. But while in Philippines, Buko Pie is available basically everywhere, but it is only really nice when it is freshly baked, so when you get it is the shop, the box is still warm, then you know you have a really freshly baked pie and it is so delicious

Now I first have to tell you how to find the shop with the delicious Buko Pie, and believe me, I have had since then many Buko Pies but none of them is as delicious as this one (OK, little bit byist, but trust me, it is delicious). The shop is called El Mare and is at the entrance of Tagaytay when you take the Santa Rosa Road. It is basically opposite the flower market.

But here is the recipe (if you really can't get to El Mare shop in Tagaytay)


Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 piece eggyolk
1 tsp. vinegar
1/4 cup ice water


Filling:
4 cups coconut meat
1 cup coconut water
1 300 ml can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 cup cornstarch

Blend flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening using two knives or a pastry cutter.

Combine yolk, vinegar and water, slowly add the liquid to the flour mixing until dough can be handled.

Divide dough into 2 parts with one part slightly bigger than the other. Roll bigger dough to about 2 inches larger than a 16-inch pie form

Fit dough into a pie plate, letting sides hang.

Roll out remaining dough for the crust.

Set aside.

Combine filling ingredients in a heavy bottom saucepan.

Cook stirring constantly until thickened. Cool then pour into prepared crust.

Cover with top crust; flute or fold edges together to seal.

Bake for 1 hr. at 180 C.

Key Lime Pie in Key West, Florida

Yes, we are in Key West, it has been a long time since I have been here last and I still have fond memories of this place, going through town to buy fresh fish early in the morning when everybody is still sleeping and there are no tourists around.

This time it was a little different, I am here in the afternoon, it is boiling hot and the streets are full of tourists and I just want to go back to the ship where it is beautifully air-conditioned. But I still enjoyed the capital of the Conch Republic, the epicenter of the world famous Key Lime Pie.

There is a difference in the Lime Pie compared to other lime pies. The Key Lime is a little smaller and extremely fragrant, so the pie is of course very fragrant too. I will give you my recipe of a Key Lime Pie, one I know it works and is tasty. The Pie is very light and easy to prepare.

Key West is a lovely town, humid at times, but beautiful and tropical at the same time. Amongst other the famous writer Ernest Hemingway lived here for a long time and many other

There is a lot to see, many museums, restaurants, the butterfly farm, the southern most point and so much more. It is such a relaxed place, just to put your feet up and enjoy your time here. It is quite a way to drive from Miami but worth it and if you have time, make an overnight stop and drive back the next day as night life here is fantastic, exciting and plentiful, something for every taste.

I N G R E D I E N T S

Crust
16 graham crackers, crushed
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cube (1/4 lb) margarine or butter

Pie
4 large or extra large egg yolks
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh key lime juice (approximately 12 Key limes)
2 teaspoons grated lime peel, green portion only

Topping
4 Egg whites
6 oz Castor Sugar

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Crust
Mix the ingredients and press them into a 9" pie plate. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 10 - 12 minutes until lightly browned. Place on a rack to cool.

Pie Filling

Use an electric mixer and beat the egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow, don't over mix. Turn the mixer off and add the sweetened condensed milk. Turn speed to low and mix in half of the lime juice. Once the juice is incorporated add the other half of the juice and the zest, continue to mix until blended (just a few seconds). Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake at 350F for 12 minutes to set the yolks

Topping
Beat the egg whites with a quarter of the sugar to soft peak in an electric beater, add the rest of the sugar and beat till all the sugar has dissolved and the mix is nice and solid.
Pipe the mix on the cold pie and then burn the top with a torch.

Blueberry Roulade

For a change I want to do a blueberry roulade as it is Blueberry season and they are really sweet and juicey, not like the ones they are for sale in the supermakets during the year

To do a biscuit for a roulade is actually very simple, it is just very important that everything is beaten properly so that the batter is quite firm and not runny

So here is the recipe

6 each Egg yolks

6 each Egg whites

100 g Sugar

1 each Lemon Peel

0.5 each Vanilla bean

125 g Flour

25 g Butter, melted

Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar, lemon peel and vanilla till thick and creamy. Beat the egg white together with the rest of the sugar till firm peaks. Add half the flour to the egg yolks, then add half the egg white to it, always mixing carefully so not to loose any of the lightness. Then add the rest of the flour and the rest of the egg whites. Just before baking add the melted butter.

Spread the batter about 5 to 7 mm thick on a non stick paper, make sure it is nice and square. The batter should be nice and firm, so is not running away.

Bake in the pre heated oven at 220 o C quickly, take off the baking tray and cover with a damp cloth to keep the biscuit nice and soft.

Filling

500 g Blueberries

50 g Sugar

250 g Cream cheese

250 g Cream

3 leaves Gelatine

Warm the blueberries up with the sugar, then add the soaked gelatin

Mix the blueberries with the cream cheese.

Then add the whipped cream.

Spread the filling on the roulade biscuit, then roll with the cloth underneath, nice and firm.

Keep in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

It is a really easy recipe and not very time consuming, worth a try. Of course the filling can be anything, from chocolate to fruit, whatever one likes to have.