Traditional Poitou cheesecake with a shortcrust pastry base

Pastry:
125g flour
65g marg or butter
pinch of salt
sprinkling of water to bind

Filling:
3 eggs (separated)
100g fromage frais
80g caster sugar
1 teaspoon orange flower water or lemon juice or cognac
pinch of salt
30g sieved flour

Make the pastry, rubbing the fat into the flour with a pinch of salt, adding water to bind and leave to rest in the fridge.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
Mix the fromage frais with the sugar.
Add 3 egg yolks, beat rapidly.
Add the sieved flour then the cognac (or orange flower water or lemon juice)
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt.

Fold in gently the egg whites into the egg yolk/fromage frais mixture.
Take pastry out of fridge, roll out and line a quiche or tart tin with it.
Pour the filling onto the pastry base.

Bake in a hot oven 200-220C for 50 minutes (you may need to change this according to your oven). The cheesecake needs to be very dark brown almost burnt on top for it to be authentic!

After removing from the oven, leave to cool and then refrigerate before eating.
Delicious served plain or with cream and jam or with fresh/tinned fruit.

Bon appetit!