Cream Cheese for This Month's Cookalong

Asked by biscuitcrumb. Answered on 21st May 2013

Full question

I'd like to make this month's cookalong recipe featurd on Nigella's website - the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake. Whenever I look in the supermarket I'm not sure which is the best cream cheese to buy for a baked cheesecake. Please can you recommend a good brand for the purpose? Many thanks, Keith

Our answer

For all of Nigella's cheesecakes we suggest using a full fat (regular) cream cheese (in the UK cream cheese is often labelled as soft white cheese). The reduced fat or light versions of cream cheese can sometimes be used in cheesecakes but as they contain other ingredients, which act as stabilisers, they can be a little unreliable in a recipe unless it is specifically designed for the reduced fat cheeses.

Supermarket own label brands should be fine to use but for branded cream cheese we suggest trying Philadelphia, which is the best known brand cream cheese (and is named after the area in the US where cream cheese was first commercially produced). This brand can be found in most supermarkets and grocery stores. But be sure to use the regular plain Philadelphia and not the "light" or flavoured versions.

If you are unsure if the cream cheese is the full fat (regular) type then check the nutritional information on the pack. The fat content should be at least 33%.