ALAN LEMON RECIPES

Steps:

• For the caramelised lemon slices, heat the oven to 140°C/120°C fan/ gas. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and sift over a good layer of icing sugar. Lay the lemon slices on top of the sugar, then sift more icing sugar on top of them. Sprinkle over a few drops of water, then bake for around 1 hour until the lemons are golden and caramelised. Carefully lift them off the baking paper with a palette knife and leave to cool on a wire rack until ready to use. If you’re keeping them overnight, store in between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container.
• For the base of the cheesecake, whizz the speculoos biscuits in a food processor, or put in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin to form fine crumbs. Whizz or stir in the melted butter in a mixing bowl along with a pinch of salt, then pack into the base of a 20cm loosebottomed cake tin in an even layer, smoothing it down using the back of a soup spoon. Chill until needed.
• Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4. For the filling, mix the room temperature cream cheese, caster sugar and soured cream together in a mixing bowl with a balloon whisk (or with an electric mixer) until smooth. Gently beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and juice. Fold in the flour with a balloon whisk until smooth. Spoon the mixture over the chilled biscuit base, then level the top.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes until the top is lightly golden and set at the edges but the middle still has a good wobble when the cheesecake is shaken gently. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before removing from the tin. To serve, top with the caramelised lemon slices and dust with a little more icing sugar, if you like.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make and bake the cake crust as directed and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.
• 2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment if your mixer has one, beat 1 package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch together on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each.
• 3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the cream just until completely blended. The filling will look light, creamy, airy, and almost like billowy clouds. Be careful not to overmix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust.
• 4. Place the cake pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes halfway (about 1 inch) up the side of the springform. Bake until the edge is light golden brown, the top is light gold, and the center barely jiggles, about 1 1/4 hours. If the cake still feels soft around the edge, let it bake for 10 minutes more (the cooking time will be about the same for both the 8- and 9-inch cheesecakes). Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours (just walk away—don't move it). Then, leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold before serving, preferably overnight or for at least 6 hours.
• 5. Release and remove the side of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one, rinsing the knife with warm water between slices. Refrigerate any leftover cake, tightly covered, and enjoy within 2 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.