St Martin’s cheesecake

St Martin’s cheesecake is another sweet way to celebrate St Martin’s Day (11 November in Poland). Nothing will probably ever dethrone the famous St Martin’s croissants, but if you happen to have some white poppy seeds left, it’s definitely worth baking. The cake is wonderfully rich and full of flavour. It combines a layer of white poppy seeds with marzipan, almonds, walnuts, honey and candied orange peel with a lightly creamy cheesecake filling scented with orange zest. It’s a truly special combination. Surprise your family with something new, and this recipe (and its flavour) will stay with you for years.

Ingredients for the base:

• 80 g almonds
• 125 g plain biscuits (such as petit beurre) or digestive biscuits
• 80 g butter, melted

Place the almonds, biscuits and butter in a food processor and blend until finely crushed and the mixture resembles wet sand. If you don’t have a food processor, place the biscuits in a sturdy bag and crush them with a rolling pin, then mix with very finely chopped almonds and the melted butter.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper. Press the biscuit–almond mixture firmly into the base. Bake at 175°C for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Wrap the outside of the tin twice with aluminium foil – the cheesecake will be baked in a water bath.*

Ingredients for the white poppy seed layer:

• 220 g white poppy seeds
• 120 g marzipan, grated
• 100 g ground walnuts
• 100 g ground almonds
• 80 g candied orange peel
• 2 tablespoons runny honey
• 30 g butter, melted
• 120 g icing sugar
• 2 egg whites (from large eggs)
• a few drops almond extract (optional)

Pour boiling water over the poppy seeds until just covered. Leave to cool, then drain and grind twice in a meat grinder (alternatively, simmer the poppy seeds in water for about 20 minutes, drain well, cool and grind twice.) Ground poppy seeds sold in shops can also be used, which simplifies the process. Simply cover them with boiling water, allow to cool and squeeze out the excess liquid.

Place the prepared poppy seeds in a bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients (except the egg whites). Set aside while preparing the cheesecake filling.

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 750 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese (twaróg),  ground three times
• 200 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 100 ml double cream
• 1 tablespoon potato starch (or cornflour)
• finely grated zest of ½ orange

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place all the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix just until combined (either with a mixer or whisk). Do not mix for too long, as incorporating too much air can cause the cheesecake to rise excessively and then collapse. Whip the egg whites from the poppy seed layer until stiff, then fold them into the poppy mixture to lighten it. Spread the poppy seed layer evenly over the baked base. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top and smooth the surface.

Bake the cheesecake at 170°C in a water bath* for about 70 minutes. The finished cheesecake should be set and slightly springy on top when gently touched. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Then remove it, run a knife around the edge and remove the sides of the tin. Chill in the refrigerator for about 12 hours.

Ingredients for the white chocolate glaze:

• 100 g white chocolate, chopped
• 60 ml double cream

Additionally:

• flaked almonds, for sprinkling
• candied orange peel, for decoration

Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator about 1 hour before glazing.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until hot. Remove from the heat, add the chopped white chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. If necessary, strain through a sieve. Allow the glaze to thicken slightly, then spread it evenly over the cheesecake.

Decorate with flaked almonds and candied orange peel.

Water bath method: Place the cheesecake tin inside a larger roasting tin or ovenproof dish. Pour boiling water into the outer dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. Baking in this humid environment helps the cheesecake cook evenly, prevents cracking and ensures a perfectly creamy texture.

Enjoy!