Poppy Seed Cheesecake

Hurray! The long-awaited weekend is finally here. Unfortunately, I won't have as long a May Day weekend as some of you, but 4 days off still makes me happy. It's always better than just 2. I've already planned every single day. The first day for housework, the second for a family trip, on the third I'll go wild in the kitchen, and on the fourth I'll rest from everything :) What are your plans?

Poppy seed cheesecake

Poppy seed cheesecake may not be a very springlike cake, but cheesecakes can be eaten all year round, after all. It isn't hard to make. It's delicate, slightly tangy and creamy, and the poppy seed filling makes it taste even better and look nicer, too. I admit that it was only here in Germany that I discovered cheesecake that's not just baked on a crust, but surrounded by it as well. It's a slightly "different" way of doing it, and I like it a lot, because I love this delicate dough combined with the cheese filling.

Poppy seed cheesecake

Before I get to the recipe, one note. I used ready-made poppy seed filling and didn't sweeten it any further. The original recipe used ready-ground poppy seeds with 100 g of sugar. Of course, you can grind the poppy seeds yourself. Still, I'm giving the ingredients in the form I used them.

Directions:

Mix the flour with the baking powder. Add the remaining crust ingredients and knead into a smooth dough, then wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.

Bring the milk to a boil, then add the poppy seeds, sugar, butter and cinnamon and, stirring constantly, cook for about 10 minutes, until a thick mass forms. It's important to keep stirring, because the mixture tends to scorch a little. Let it cool and stir in the eggs.

Meanwhile, you can prepare the cheese filling. Melt the butter. Mix together the sugar, pudding mix, flour, lemon zest and juice, and the eggs, then stir in the twaróg and the butter.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Roll out the chilled dough and line a prepared 24-26 cm springform pan with it (lined with parchment paper, or greased with butter and dusted with flour). Cover the bottom and sides of the pan with a thin layer of dough, then pour in the poppy seed filling, followed by the cheese filling. Smooth the top and bake for about 60 minutes. After that, leave the cake to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Slice only after it has cooled completely.

Enjoy!

Source: "Bild der Frau-Backen" 1/2007