Pay de queso
Creamy cheesecake
Mexican creamy cheesecake with condensed milk on a biscuit crust
Mexican cafés, school bake sales and Sunday family lunches all have a pay de queso, the country's own take on cheesecake. Cream cheese, condensed milk and evaporated milk are whizzed in a blender with eggs and vanilla, poured onto a crust of crushed plain tea biscuits and baked into a dense, creamy slice with a caramel note from the condensed milk. Serve it chilled with coffee, or with strawberries or a spoon of cajeta on top for a party. The usual mistake is blending at full speed for too long, which whips in air and makes the top rise and crack. Chef's tip: blend on low just until smooth, then tap the filled tin on the worktop a few times to bring big bubbles to the surface.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the crust
- 7 oz plain tea biscuitsfinely crushed
- 3 ⅛ oz buttermelted
For the filling
- 14 oz cream cheeseat room temperature
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk1 tin
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- 3 eggsat room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp lime zest (optional)
To serve
- 7 oz strawberries (optional)sliced
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (7)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan) and line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper.
Step 2: Mix 7 oz plain tea biscuits with 3 ⅛ oz butter until it looks like wet sand. Press firmly over the base and 2 cm up the sides with the bottom of a glass. Chill while you make the filling.
Step 3: Put 14 oz cream cheese, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, ¾ cup evaporated milk, 3 eggs, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp cornflour and 1 tsp lime zest in a blender and blend on low for 30–40 seconds, just until smooth.
Step 4: Pour the filling onto the crust and tap the tin on the worktop a few times to release bubbles.
Step 5: Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the centre still wobbles like jelly when you nudge the tin.
55 minStep 6: Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door ajar for 30 minutes, then cool to room temperature.
30 minStep 7: Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before slicing with a hot knife. Top with 7 oz strawberries if you like. Keeps for 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 41 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pay de queso take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of cream cheese?
- Mascarpone, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Black bean tacos with lime slaw
Proof that a meat-free taco night can be the best one. The beans are mashed with chipotle and cumin so they hold together in the tortilla, and a quick lime slaw adds crunch.
Avocado dip
A guacamole-style dip of ripe avocado mashed with tomato, onion, green chillies, coriander, a little sour cream, Tabasco and lemon. Make it smooth or chunky, as you like. Chill it and serve with nacho triangles.
Nacho chips & sour cream
Crisp nacho triangles layered with a garlicky sour cream, jalapeño chillies and cheddar, baked for just 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve straight away with hot salsa. You can also serve the sour cream and salsa separately as dips.
