Digestive to butter ratio for cheesecake?

Sigma Force

Need to make a 9 inch round cheesecake using a springform tin. Cheating on the filling and the topping is dead easy but I never get the biscuit base right it's either too buttery or too crumbly.

I use unsalted butter otherwise the base is too salty.

So how many grams of digestives to I need to use and how many grams of unsalted butter to make a decent base that will hold? Also would it be best to refridgerate over night (base only) or would I get away with just a few hours coz I'm afraid the base might get too soggy as I need to have the whole thing finished the night before.

Hootanany

Pray tell how are you cheating on the filling.

phormium

I'm afraid I don't measure it so can't help with the measurements, I just add enough melted butter to the crumbs until they look like they have enough (helpful amn't I!) anyway though I bake it in the oven then for 10 mins or so. I find that glues it together and keeps it crispy.

Was watching Anna Olson baking programme the other day and she did the same but added a spoon of flour to the crumbs and butter before baking, it was a lemon meringue tray bake type thing and I think she said it would cut better into neat squares with the addition of the flour. You can google her recipes, I think it is an excellent baking programme.

pwurple

Cheesecake base I guess it too. "Wet Sand" is what my mum taught me for crumb to butter ratio. Think of the best sandcastle sand... That kind of thing.

Anyway, on the soggy prevention... I don't bake the base, i stick it in the fridge. But before I put the creamy bit on, i do a really thin layer of sealant. Either lemon curd, or raspberry jam, depending on the topping. That just gives a little barrier between top and bottom.

Oh, and if its a lemon one, I grate lemon zest into the base crumbs too.

Magic Monkey

20-25% melted butter by weight compared to the digestives is a good range.

Just process the biscuits, add the melted butter, and mix to coat. Press gently into the tin (too hard and it becomes more difficult to slice), add the topping, refrigerate overnight. Job done.

A tasty alternative is a chocolate base. Melt an equal amount of butter to golden syrup, add cocoa powder until it's dark enough, or to taste, and bring to a boil. Add to the biscuit crumbs.

Sigma Force

Thanks folks.

I cheat using Tescos finest lemon curd, it's so yum and am usually too impatient to make it from scratch. Is it just me or is the packet lemon curd and the Tesco finest ones nicer anyway..I think so but maybe I haven't tasted a really good home made curd yet.

But shhh say nothing, if anyone asks I made it from scratch ...

Joey the lips

I have stopped using butt in th base. I use golden syrup it's all sugar without the fat. I use fruit in the flavouring and a Splenda sugar type alternative. I also use fat free cheese and low fat cream.


I feckin love cheese cake

pwurple

Yeah, we have a diabetic in the family, so I'm not such a big fan of swapping fats for sugars. The low fat stuff all just subs in sugars... it's a diabetics nightmare.

Lemon curd, I make my own alright, I find the shop ones too sweet. I like them mouth-puckeringly sharp.

helimachoptor

I made mint aero for the folks in work a couple of weeks back, ive already been asked when is it making another appearance :pac:

Sigma Force

Can anyone say how long a cheesecake will stay fresh for is I make it with digestives and unsalted butter, lemon curd for center and mascarpone (which will be mixed with some vanilla and a little icing sugar) could I freeze the whole thing? Or would it stay fresh if made on a fri eve and serves on a sunday?

pwurple

Soft cheeses in general don't defrost well, so I wouldn't freeze it.
Friday night to sunday should be fine.

Zaph

I've often frozen cheesecake without any problems. The only downside is that the base tends to be a bit soft when it's defrosted, but apart from that it tastes fine.