Orange cheesecake

Method

1. For the pâte sablée: heap the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Put the butter, icing sugar and salt in the well. With your fingertips, mix and cream the butter with the sugar and salt, then add the egg yolks and work them in delicately with your fingertips.

2. Little by little, draw the flour into the centre and work the mixture delicately with your fingers until you have even dough.

3. Using the palm of your hand, push the dough away from you 3 or 4 times until it is completely smooth. Roll it into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. You will need 280g of the pâte sablée for this dish. Roll out the pastry to a round, 3mm thick and use it to line a lightly greased 20cm diameter (4cm deep) flan ring. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3. Prick the base of the pastry case with a fork. Line the inside of pastry case with greaseproof paper and evenly fill with baking beans (either special ceramic ones or dried beans that you can use again for this purpose) to hold the pastry down. Bake the case in the oven (this is called baking blind) for 30 minutes. Take the pastry out of the oven, remove the beans and paper and return to the oven for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool. Lower the oven setting to 140C/gas 1.

6. For the filling: finely grate the zest from the oranges, then squeeze the juice and strain it through a fine sieve. Set aside. Put the soft cheeses, soured cream and sugar in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a spatula.

7. In another bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then delicately fold them into the cheese mixture with a spatula. Add the orange zest and juice and mix with the spatula until evenly combined.

8. Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake in the low oven for 1½ hours. To check that the cheesecake is cooked, insert a fine skewer into the centre; it should come out clean. Place on a wire rack and leave for about 20 minutes before removing the flan ring. Let the pastry cool completely, then place in the least cool part of your fridge until you are ready to serve.

9. To serve, carefully spread an even layer of marmalade over the surface of the cheesecake. Wait a few minutes for the glaze to set, then cut the cheesecake into portions using a very sharp knife. Serve on individual plates, with confit orange peel sticks, drizzled with a little of their syrup on the side.