Cheesecake with Poppy Seeds and Grape Jam

SHORTCRUST PASTRY INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Process all ingredients in a mixer or by hand into a smooth, firmer dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for ½ hour.
• 2
  Line the bottom of a 24 cm diameter cake tin with baking paper. Roll out the dough into a 24 cm diameter circle and place it in the tin. Prick with a fork and bake for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 170°C with a fan.

CURD FILLING INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Grind the curd 3 times in a meat grinder or you can also chop it in a food processor, the curd will be finer and smoother, but not as runny as the one in tubs.
• 2
  Separate the yolks from the whites. Whisk the whites with salt into stiff peaks, at the end whisk in 50 g of granulated sugar. Beat the butter, the rest of the granulated sugar, and vanilla sugar into a smooth foam. Gradually whisk the yolks and ground curd into the foam in parts. Gently fold the egg whites and potato starch into the curd foam with a spatula.
• 3
  Spread the curd mixture over the pre-baked dough and smooth the surface.
• 4
  Place a deeper baking tray on the lower rack of the oven and pour boiling water into it. Bake the cheesecake for approximately 60 minutes on the middle rack of the oven at 150°C without a fan. The baked cake should slightly spring back on the surface. During baking, you can cover the tin with aluminum foil to keep the cake light on the surface.
• 5
  After baking, do not remove the cheesecake from the oven immediately to prevent it from collapsing. Turn off the oven, slightly open the door, and let the cheesecake cool in it for an hour.
• 6
  Spread the baked and cooled cheesecake with jam while still in the tin, then carefully remove it from the tin. You can decorate it with fresh fruit or nuts.