Labneh (strained Yogurt) Cheesecake

Selam everybody ...... Merhaba from Turkey....

I was happy with my previous experiment using "cheese" from drained yogurt. I made a delish "cheese" souffle that now become 'most request' in my family ^,^

To make this Cheesecake, you need to drain plain thick yogurt to separate the water in cheesecloth-lined strainer for at least 24 hours before. From 1 kg yogurt I get about 860 ~ 900 gr drained yogurt 'Cheese' (it depends the thickness of yogurt you use)

If you using electric oven which has two side heat source (up and down heat source) be careful not to burn the surface-like I did here-to perform more beautiful good looking cheesecake. Recognize your oven to produce correct heat (even your oven has temperature setting). You might need to cover lightly your cheesecake with aluminium foil when you notice it's going to burn much.

But even my cheesecake surface is slightly burnt, it doesn't affect the silky and delish taste of this everybody's favorite dessert. With various jam topping, you and family can enjoy each personal taste. 

Maybe you would think that cheesecake made of yogurt has too much sourness taste in result...well...One thing I can say that each yogurt product has different quality and sourness. In Turkey we have few kind of yogurt for example; kaymaklı or kaymaksız. Kaymaklı is more creamy and less sourness than kaymaksız. And mostly turkish yogurt are very thick compare yogurt products I found in Indonesia which mostly thinner.

But again... it's back to your personal palate and taste.

Serve 6 ~ 8

Prepare one round 8-inch or 7-inch ( Ø ± 20 cm) springform pan and one larger baking pan--height not more than your 8"/7" round pan.

Ingredients for base:
 1 ½ cup chocolate biscuit crumb
 50 g butter. Melted. And more for grease the pan

Strained yogurt after 24 hrs

Cheesecake Ingredients:
 2 ½ cup of drained yogurt, room temperature
 1 cup + 1 tablespoon caster sugar
 Pinch of fine salt
 2 large eggs, room temperature
 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
 1 tablespoon cornstarch
 2 tablespoons heavy cream, room temperature

Topping:
 your favorite fruit jam

Method:
1) Brush your springform pan and line it's bottom with a baking sheet. Wrap the outside of pan with double aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 190 ⁰C.

2) Mix chocolate biscuit crumbs and melted butter evenly ( I did it manually with spatula). Press in bottom of the pan as a base. Set aside in refrigerator until cheese filling is ready.

3) In a large bowl, beat yogurt "cheese" with caster sugar until sugar dissolves. Combine flour and cornstarch, and continue beat in low speed. Then mix in heavy cream.

4) Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition. Pour into the prepared pan. Place the pan over larger pan and pour hot water not more than 1/3 of round springform pan.

5) Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center of cheesecake comes out clean. Turn off the oven heat and Slightly open your oven door and let cheesecake inside it to room temperature before being stored in refrigerator at least 2 hours before cut/ served.

6) Cut and serve with your favorite fruit jam as topping. You can see some topping recipe below.

I. LEMON curd topping:
 1 ½ medium-size lemon. Zest and squeeze the juice
 6 ~ 7 tablespoons granulated sugar (or to taste)
 cornstarch 2 tsp
 2 ¼ cups water
Method: Dissolve the cornstarch with water, combine the sugar, lemon Zest and juice, stir well. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick.

II. PLUM Topping:
 ± 300 g plums, pitted
 7 ~ 8 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
 cornstarch 2 dessert spoon
 2 cups water
Method: dissolve cornstarch in water. Combine sugar and peaches. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick.

III. STRAWBERRY JAM Topping:
 ± 300 g strawberry
 4 ~ 6 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
 cornstarch 2 dessert spoon
 1 ½ cup water
Method: cook sugar and 1 cup water until sugar dissolves over medium heat. Cook in strawberries and stir occasionally. Dissolve cornstarch with ½ cup water, mix into the pan and stir carefully until thick.

Enjoy.

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Check My other Post:

Orange frozen yoghurt

Strawberry Cheese Panna Cotta

Three tones yoghurt "cheese" chocolate mousse

Kiwi Pana cotta with pom jam