MAZALTOV, The Best Cheesecake in Paris

If I told you that the best cheesecake in Paris is actually at the famous chocolate shop of Jean-Paul Hevin, recipient of the MOF award (Best Craftsman in France), you wouldn’t believe me, but it’s true. 🙂

Hevin is one of our favorite chocolatiers and has also become a close friend over the years. His chocolates are excellent, the chocolate desserts are wonderful, but his cheesecake is the real standout. Inside the brown and chocolate display case, the light, whitish cake shines like a sparkling diamond. Some people come to his chocolate shop just to taste this cake, which has an ingenious name: MAZALTOV.

In France, there are hardly any cheesecakes, in contrast to Eastern Europe where they are a common treat. Many mistake the famous flan for a cheesecake because they sometimes look similar, but in reality, cheesecakes are scarce in French patisseries.

Of course, with the development of the pastry field and the world becoming a global village through social networks, foreign influences have made their way into French patisserie. Occasionally, you can find cheesecakes from one pastry chef or another, but it’s still not a common item.

The best cheesecake we’ve tasted so far in Paris, and in general, was undoubtedly Maxime Frédéric’s cheesecake served during Limbar’s tea time. Unfortunately, Limbar has already closed, and Maxime Frédéric’s desserts can now be enjoyed at the amazing LV Dream Complex. He doesn’t serve the cheesecake at the complex yet, but perhaps it will happen in the future.

In the meantime, Hevin has agreed to share his secret recipe for the famous cheesecake in honor of Shavuot. And why is it called MAZALTOV? Hevin’s ex-wife is Jewish, and as a tribute, he decided to create a cake reminiscent of Eastern European Jewish culture and gave it the iconic name MAZALTOV.

This cheesecake is delicate and tall, with a crispy crust base and a filling made of light cheese. Consequently, it’s a relatively light and low-calorie cake, slightly sour, and very airy. Its lightness reminds us of the cheesecakes we’ve tasted in Japan. Interestingly, Hevin’s current wife is Japanese, and he is considered one of the most esteemed chocolatiers in the Land of the Rising Sun. This Jewish-Japanese fusion might be the winning recipe for his perfect cheesecake.

Some tips for the perfect MAZALTOV 
♠ All the ingredients for the cheese batter and meringue should be at room temperature.
♣ To achieve the desired texture, whip the egg whites at a slow speed to create small, dense foam bubbles. Avoid the temptation to whip quickly. 🙂
♥ It is crucial to bake the cake initially at a high temperature and then at a low temperature for approximately two hours. Failure to do so will result in the cake collapsing and having a compressed, unpleasant texture.
♦ While baking, the cake will double in height and develop cracks on the sides (refer to the photo). Don’t worry, it will sink back down after you remove it from the oven.

MAZALTOV, The Best Cheesecake in Paris
20cm cake pan (8-9cm height)
or 22cm cake pan (7cm height)

Ingredients
Pastry dough:
80g cold butter, cubed
130g all-purpose flour
50g confectioners’ sugar
20g almond meal
Pinch of salt
30g eggs (1/2 big egg)

Cheese batter:
300g Fromage Blanc 0% (you can find it in the US in some places. If you can’t find I would try light sour cream or yogurt 🙂)
1 vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
35g fresh lemon juice
50g milk powder
60g sugar
30g egg yolks (around 1.5 big egg yolks)
25g corn starch
35g potato starch

Meringue:
225g egg whites
65g sugar

Very soft butter for the pan greasing
Confectioners’ sugar for decoration

Preparation
1. Pastry dough: Place all the dough ingredients, except the egg, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few times until you achieve a sandy texture.
2. Add the egg and pulse a few more times, stopping before the dough forms a complete ball. It’s best to handle the dough as little as possible.
3. Transfer the dough onto a clean surface and shape it into a flat rectangle. Cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 240 degrees Celsius and line only the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
5. On a floured surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of 4-5 mm.
6. Using a tart ring, cut out a circle of dough with the same diameter as the mold. Place the dough at the bottom of the pan and prick it with a fork.
7. Brush the sides of the pan with softened butter, moving vertically from the base upwards (this step is crucial for the cake to rise).
8. Cheese batter: In a large bowl, mix together the cheese and vanilla.
9. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and milk powder until a paste-like texture is achieved. Transfer this mixture to the bowl of cheese and beat them together.
10. Add the sugar and continue beating, then incorporate the egg yolks and beat further.
11. Add the corn starch and potato starch, and beat until you obtain a uniform mixture. Set it aside.
12. Meringue: Place the egg whites in a mixer bowl and start whipping at a slow speed. Gradually the sugar while continuing to whip at a slow speed. The foam should be opaque and very firm, but not overly stiff. Since the whipping speed is slow, it may take a few minutes to achieve the desired consistency.
13. Transfer one-third of the meringue to the cheese batter and beat until you obtain a light mixture. Gently fold the remaining meringue into the mixture until the batter is uniform.
14. Pour the cheese filling onto the dough crust and place it in the oven. Bake for approximately 10 minutes at a temperature of 240 degrees Celsius, until the surface of the cake turns brown and forms a crust.
15. Reduce the oven temperature to 140 degrees Celsius. You can briefly open the oven door for 1-2 minutes to help lower the temperature. Continue baking for about one and a half to two hours, until the cake is firm.
*Note: During baking, the cake will rise significantly, almost doubling in height, and cracks will appear on the sides due to the expansion. Keep this in mind when positioning the cake in the oven. After baking, the cake will deflate, so there’s no need to panic.
16. Remove the cake from the oven, allow it to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate for a few hours.
17. Before serving, sprinkle a generous layer of confectioners’ sugar, slice the cake into triangles, and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Paris chez Sharon (@parischezsharon)

Bon-Appétit
Sharon