Cheesecake – try it hot, cold

NORENE GILLETZ

Shavuot, which begins at sundown on Saturday, May 26, commemorates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish People at Mount Sinai and is also the Festival of the First Fruits. For many reasons, dairy foods, such as cheesecakes, kugels, blintzes, rice pudding and ice cream, are traditionally served for Shavuot.

Cheesecake is always a hit and you can make various versions from just one basic recipe. You can also vary the fillings, for example, chocolate or vanilla. Substitute different liqueurs, like orange, coffee, hazelnut or almond, instead of using vanilla extract. You can swirl melted semi-sweet chocolate into the batter for a marbled effect. Fresh berries make terrific toppings. For praline cheesecake, use brown sugar instead of white, and garnish with pecan halves.

The following two recipes are adapted from The New Food Processor Bible (Whitecap). Dairy delicious!

NORENE’S EASY CHEESECAKE
You can substitute chocolate or vanilla wafers in the crust.

Crust:
18 single graham wafers (about 1 1/2 cups crumbs)
6 tbsp soft margarine or butter, cut in small chunks
2 tbsp sugar (granulated or brown)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Filling:
4 cups cream cheese, cut in chunks (light or regular)
1 1/2 cups sugar 4 eggs (or 2 eggs plus 4 egg whites)
1 tbsp vanilla extract (or 2 tbsp lemon juice)
Topping of your choice

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To make the crust, break wafers into chunks. Process on steel blade until coarse crumbs are formed. Add remaining crust ingredients and process until blended, five or six seconds. Press into a sprayed 10-inch springform pan. Wipe the bowl and blade with paper towel.

For the filling, process the cheese with sugar until blended, about 15 seconds. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and process until smooth and creamy, 20 to 30 seconds longer. Pour the mixture over the crust.

Place a pie plate half-filled with water on the lowest rack of the oven and place the cheesecake on the middle rack. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. When done, the edges will be set but the centre will jiggle slightly. Turn off the heat and let the cheesecake cool in the oven, with the door partly open for about one hour. It will firm up during this time.

Once it’s set, refrigerate, adding the desired topping, and chill for three to four hours before serving. (Can be made a day or two ahead.) Serves 12.

For lighter variations: use granular Splenda instead of sugar, use half cream cheese and half dry cottage cheese, or two eggs and four egg whites.

HOT CHEESECAKE
This longtime favorite comes from my longtime friend, Roz Brown of Montreal. It makes a fabulous main dish for a buffet or brunch for Shavuot or anytime. Serve it with sour cream and fresh fruit salad or berries. (Note: use a steel blade in the food processor.)

Topping:
1 cup corn flakes (or 1/4 cup crumbs)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp brown sugar

Base:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Filling:
2 cups dry cottage cheese (fat-free or regular; see note below)
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Dash of salt
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

For the topping, process the corn flakes with cinnamon and brown sugar until fine, and transfer the mixture to a small bowl.

For the base, process butter or margarine with sugar and egg for about one minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Process just until dough begins to form a ball around the blades, about 10 seconds. Pat the dough into a sprayed, eight-inch square glass baking dish or a nine-inch pie plate.

To make the filling, process the cheese for 15 seconds. Add eggs, sugar and salt, and process 15 seconds longer. Dissolve cornstarch in milk and pour in the mixture through the feed tube while the machine is running. Process 10 seconds longer, until well mixed. Pour over the base and sprinkle with reserved topping.

Bake in the oven for one hour. Serve hot. Serves eight.

This cheesecake will keep two to three days in the refrigerator, and reheats and/or freezes well. The recipe may be doubled and baked in a sprayed nine-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Baking time will be about the same.

A note about dry/pressed cottage cheese: if you aren’t able to find dry or pressed cottage cheese, substitute small curd cottage cheese (low-fat or fat-free). Place in a colander and press out the excess liquid. You’ll probably have to add extra cottage cheese to make up for the drained liquid and processing time will be slightly longer.

Norene Gilletz is the leading author of kosher cookbooks in Canada. She divides her time between work as a food writer, culinary consultant, spokesperson, cooking instructor, lecturer and editor. For more information, visit gourmania.com or e-mail her at [email protected].

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