The World's Best Pineapple Cheesecake

The Australian Women’s Weekly presents . . . The World’s 50 Best Cheesecakes from our Leila Howard Test Kitchen, 1967

“Cheesecake is one of the world’s most popular desserts . . . certainly the most fashionable” Leila Howard.

Unbaked cheesecakes: Pineapple Cheesecake

Crumb Crust: 2/3 cup biscuit crumbs; 2 tblspn melted butter; 1 tblspn sugar; ¼ cup chopped nuts; ¼ tspn cinnamon; ¼ tspn nutmeg

Filling: ¾ cup sugar; 2 tblspn gelatine; ¼ tspn salt; 2 eggs; ½ cup evaporated milk; 1 tspn grated lemon rind; 25og cream cheese; 1 tblspn lemon juice; 1 ½ tspn vanilla; ¼ cup sugar (extra); 150ml cream; 1 cup drained canned crushed pineapple

Mix together all the crumb-crust ingredients, line base of 20cm springform pan with the mixture.

Filling: Separate eggs. Combine in top of double saucepan the sugar, gelatine, salt, beaten egg-yolks, evaporated milk. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly until gelatine is dissolved and mixture thickens slightly (approx.10 minutes). Add grated lemon rind; cool. Press cheese through a strainer, stir in lemon juice and vanilla, blend with first mixture. Chill, stirring occasionally, until mixture is partially set. Beat egg-whites until peaks form; gradually add extra ¼ cup sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and egg-whites are stiff. Fold into gelatine mixture. Beat cream until thick, fold in cream, then drained crushed pineapple. Pour mixture over pie crust. Chill until filling is firm.

Decorate if desired, with halved pineapple rings and glacé cherries.