BROWN BUTTER BASQUE CHEESECAKE

A twist on a classic Basque cheesecake! There's a creamy brown butter filling & a hobnob biscuit base.

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Ben.

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Welcome to another edition of Dessert Stomach! I’ve got an absolute belter of a recipe for you this week, in the form of a brown butter Basque cheesecake.

It was only after I posted last week’s recipe that I realised that I didn’t make it free, as the first of every month usual is. I hope this week’s recipe makes up for this, it’s one of my favourites!

So this cheesecake’s based on a classic Basque cheesecake but I’ve added a layer of brown butter hobnob biscuits on the base for some added texture and there’s brown butter in the batter as well, for double the flavour. There’s the usual vanilla beans in the batter & the filling is baked until it’s just set, for the softest, creamiest texture. Not forgetting the well caramelised crust on top of course!

I served my cheesecake with my blueberry & lime compote but honestly, it’s good with pretty much anything or just on its own. The nutty, caramelised flavour of this cheesecake would work great with some fresh, seasonal fruit, compote or coulis. Whatever you like really.

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Before diving into the recipe, let’s do a quick breakdown of each component. This is a super simple dish, so there’s only 3; the biscuit base, the baked filling & the brown butter that’s used in both.

Brown Butter

Here’s a little trick for making brown butter extra flavourful! Simply stir some toasted milk powder into the butter as soon as it’s cooked then use as normal. This is basically a dried version of brown butter & amplifies the nutty, caramelised flavours. You’ll need to make this yourself but it’s super easy & is great for cookies, brownies, ice cream & loads more. You can full my full guide on doing this, here.

So for this cheesecake, we’re adding brown butter into both the base & the filling. This means that we can brown all of the butter for the recipe in one go then take out what we need for each component. Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before, all that’s involved is cooking butter in a pan until it turns golden brown & smells nutty!

Hobnob Biscuit Base

A classic Basque cheesecake famously doesn’t have a base but that doesn’t mean you can’t add one! And you don’t have to use Hobnobs, use pretty much whatever biscuit you like. Though I would highly recommend using Hobnobs as they make the best cheesecake bases in my opinion. This base is made by mixing biscuit crumbs with brown butter & a pinch of salt.

Now usually when you make a baked cheesecake, you’d pre bake the base to keep it crisp & to prevent it from going soggy. But as a Basque cheesecake is baked at a higher temperature, I didn’t want to risk over cooking it. I was actually a bit nervous about it burning but it cooked absolutely fine as I baked this cheesecake at a very slightly lower temperature than usual.

The one thing I will say though, is to make sure to chill the base for at least 30 minutes before making the filling, to give it enough time to firm up before baking. This stops the cheesecake batter soaking into the biscuits.

Brown Butter Basque Cheesecake Batter

For my Basque cheesecakes, I use a mix of cream cheese, crème fraiche, double cream, whole eggs & egg yolks. Plus sugar, vanilla & some cornflour for stability & structure. For this recipe, there’s also brown butter mixed into the batter as well, in place of some of the cream (to avoid making the batter too thin).

I like my Basque cheesecake to be set so it’s just firm enough to slice, with a creamy, almost mousse like texture. The secret to achieving this texture every time, is to use a food probe to check the internal temperature of the filling once it’s baked. We’re aiming to hit between 60°c-65°c (140°f-149°f). I tend to take the cheesecake out of the oven once it hits 60°c/140°f but for a slightly firmer set, take it closer to 65°c/149°f.

If you don’t have a probe, bake the cheesecake until the top is a deep brown colour but the filling is still super jiggly. If you do have a probe, just make sure to probe the filling on the side (near the top), otherwise you’ll end up with a visible hole on the top of your cheesecake!

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Brown Butter Basque Cheesecake

A twist on a classic Basque cheesecake! There’s a creamy brown butter filling & a hobnob biscuit base.

You’ll need an 8” springform tin, a food processor & a stand mixer.

Ingredients

Brown Butter

• 200g Unsalted Butter

• 2 tsp Toasted Milk Powder (Optional)

Biscuit Base

• 225g Hobnob Biscuits

• 60g Brown Butter

• A Pinch Of Table Salt

Cheesecake Filling

• 100g Brown Butter

• 560g Cream Cheese (Room Temp)

• 280g Creme Fraiche (Room Temp)

• 220g Caster Sugar

• 2 tsp Vanilla Paste

• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

• 165g Whole Eggs (3 Large)

• 50g Egg Yolks (3 Yolks)

• 30g Cornflour

• 250g Double Cream

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Method

Brown Butter

1. Chop the butter into evenly sized pieces then place into a medium saucepan. Place over a medium heat & allow to melt, stirring regularly with a spatula. Keep cooking, until the butter starts to foam, smells nutty & you can see that the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown.

2. Once the butter has browned, take it off the heat & immediately stir in the toasted milk powder. Transfer the butter to a jug & leave to cool to room temperature.

Biscuit Base

1. Lightly grease an 8” springform tin then line the base & sides with baking parchment. Make sure to leave at least 2cm of baking paper sitting above the top of the tin (the cheesecake filling will rise slightly as it bakes).

2. Next, place the biscuits into a food processor then blitz into fine crumbs.

3. Tip the biscuit crumbs into a mixing bowl, add in 60g of the cooled brown butter & the pinch of salt then mix to combine. Give the brown butter a stir before taking any out, to mix the milk solids through.

4. Transfer the crumbs to the lined tin then use the back of a spoon (or a palette knife) to press them into a thin, even layer.

5. Chill the biscuit base for at least 30 minutes before making the filling.

Cheesecake Filling

Before making the filling, make sure to let the cream cheese, creme fraiche & eggs come up to room temperature.

1. Preheat an oven to 210°c/410°f (190°c/374°f fan).

2. Add the cream cheese, creme fraiche, caster sugar, remaining brown butter (100g), vanilla & salt into the bowl of a stand mixer then mix on a medium-low speed with the paddle attachment, for 2-3 minutes, until smooth.
   Make sure to scrape the bowl down regularly with a spatula as you mix the batter!

3. Next, add the eggs & yolks into a jug then lightly beat together with a fork.

4. With the mixer still running on a medium-low speed, gradually pour in the eggs. Make sure to let each addition mix into the batter before adding in more. Turn the mixer off once the eggs have been mixed in.

5. Next, add the cornflour into a separate mixing bowl then gradually pour in the double cream, whilst whisking, to make a smooth paste.

6. Turn your mixer back onto a medium-low speed then pour in the cream. Stop mixing once the cream has been incorporated.

7. Place your lined tin onto a baking tray then pour the batter on top of the biscuit base, through a sieve. You’ll need to push the batter through the sieve with a spatula.

8. Spread the batter into an even layer then give the tin a firm tap on the counter to pop any air bubbles.

9. Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until the top is a deep, brown colour but is still quite jiggly in the middle.
   If you take the internal temperature of the cheesecake with a food probe, it should be between 60°c-65°c (140°f-149°f). 60°c will set softer, 65°c will set slightly firmer. Make sure to probe the cheesecake through the side (near the top) so you don’t end up with a hole in the top!

10. Once baked, let the cheesecake cool to room temperature then chill in the fridge overnight. The cheesecake will sink as it cools, this is normal!

11. To serve, take the cheesecake out of the fridge, take the cheesecake out of the tin then cut the into portions. I’d recommend letting the cheesecake slices sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.
    For the neatest portions, cut the cheesecake using a knife that has been run under warm water & dried between cuts. A non serrated knife works best!

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Notes

• For the best texture, make sure to use full fat cream & creme fraiche and double (heavy) cream.

• When making cheesecake, it’s key to let the batter ingredients come up to room temperature as it mix more evenly, into a smooth batter. Cold cream cheese won’t be as smooth & can make the batter lumpy!

• For this cheesecake, you’ll need an 8″ springform tin that’s at least 7cm/2¾ inches tall. The batter will rise slightly as it bakes, which is why we leave a cm or two of baking parchment sitting above the top of the tin.

• I served my cheesecake with my blueberry & lime compote. Feel free to serve yours with whatever you like though!