If I had to pick one dish that I remember from my childhood it is my mum’s lemon meringue pie. She would often make it for dinner parties and my brother and I would be saved a slice to eat for breakfast the next day. With giant layers of fluffy meringue and tangy lemon cream, it is still one of my favourite desserts today and we always ask Mum to make it when we go for Sunday lunch. This is my cheesecake interpretation!
FOR THE CRUMB CASE
300 g/10½ oz. digestive biscuits/graham crackers
150 g/1¼ sticks butter, melted
4 tablespoons/¼ cup lemon curd
FOR THE FILLING
6 sheets leaf gelatine
300 g/1⅓ cups cream cheese
250 g/generous 1 cup ricotta
150 ml/⅔ cup sour cream
100 g/½ cup caster/white sugar
freshly squeezed juice and grated zest of 2 lemons
FOR THE MERINGUE TOPPING
150 g/¾ cup caster/superfine sugar
60 ml/¼ cup light corn syrup (or golden syrup if not available)
3 egg whites
a 23-cm/9-inch round springform cake pan, greased and lined
a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle/tip
a chef’s blow torch (optional)
SERVES 10
To make the crumb case, crush the biscuits/graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor or place in a clean plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Press the buttery crumbs into the base and sides of the prepared cake pan firmly using the back of a spoon. You need the crumbs to come up about 3–4 cm/1½ inches high on the side of the pan so that they make a case for the filling. Spoon the lemon curd over the base of the crust and spread out gently into an even layer with a spoon.
For the filling, soak the gelatine leaves in water until they are soft.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, ricotta, sour cream and sugar until light and creamy, then stir in the lemon zest.
Put the lemon juice and 60 ml/¼ cup water in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and heat gently. Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves and add them to the warm lemon juice, stirring until the gelatine has dissolved. Pass the lemon jelly through a sieve/strainer to remove any undissolved gelatine pieces, then add it to the cream cheese mixture and beat until it is smooth and slightly thick. Pour the filling into the crumb case and chill in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours or overnight until set.
For the meringue topping, heat the sugar, syrup and 4 tablespoons water in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil. Whisk the egg whites with a balloon whisk or mixer until they form stiff peaks. Gradually pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream and continue whisking until the meringue cools down and is glossy and firm. This will take about 10 minutes and is therefore best done with a stand mixer.
Spoon the meringue into the piping bag and pipe the meringue onto the cheesecake in high peaks. Lightly brown the meringue with a chef’s blow torch or under a hot grill/broiler. Store in the refrigerator if you are not serving at once.