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9 posts tagged Shavuot

It’s cheesecake season. Whatever the reason: Shavuot, Mother’s Day, graduation, upcoming pool or patio party, Father’s Day and so on. So last week I handed out my very special recipe for cheesecake.  Which got a terrific response and one particularly nice one for me from Eli’s Cheesecake in Chicago, Illinois, which I became familiar with many years ago when I was at college at Northwestern University. When the good folks at Eli’s read my blog and saw how I was bragging that my cheesecake recipe is unsurpassed, they offered to send me one of theirs to compare. So here’s the deal. My cheesecake is smooth, creamy, dense and tangy. I mix in freshly grated orange and lemon peel to infuse it with a refreshing citrus flavor. Eli’s cheesecake is smooth, creamy, dense and tangy, pleasantly sweet and spiked with rich vanilla.  It’s the old apples-oranges thing. They are too different to compare. If you like baking your own, try my recipe. If you’re looking for scrumptious bakery-bought cheesecake, order one (or more) from Eli’s. In addition to plain vanilla there’s lots of other flavors including gluten-free versions as well as chocolate, salted caramel, turtle, cappuccino, blood orange, key lime and more (including sampler packs that include several flavors together). Either way, you can’t go wrong, especially now. Cheesecake season. Whatever the reason.

It’s cheesecake season. Whatever the reason: Shavuot, Mother’s Day, graduation, upcoming pool or patio party, Father’s Day and so on.

So last week I handed out my very special recipe for cheesecake. 

Which got a terrific response and one particularly nice one for me from Eli’s Cheesecake in Chicago, Illinois, which I became familiar with many years ago when I was at college at Northwestern University.

When the good folks at Eli’s read my blog and saw how I was bragging that my cheesecake recipe is unsurpassed, they offered to send me one of theirs to compare.

So here’s the deal.

My cheesecake is smooth, creamy, dense and tangy. I mix in freshly grated orange and lemon peel to infuse it with a refreshing citrus flavor.

Eli’s cheesecake is smooth, creamy, dense and tangy, pleasantly sweet and spiked with rich vanilla. 

It’s the old apples-oranges thing. They are too different to compare.

If you like baking your own, try my recipe. If you’re looking for scrumptious bakery-bought cheesecake, order one (or more) from Eli’s. In addition to plain vanilla there’s lots of other flavors including gluten-free versions as well as chocolate, salted caramel, turtle, cappuccino, blood orange, key lime and more (including sampler packs that include several flavors together).

Either way, you can’t go wrong, especially now. Cheesecake season. Whatever the reason.

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This is my no-better-than-this-one cheesecake.

Honest.

I have tasted all sorts. Plain, chocolate, gloppy-cherry-topped, graham cracker crusted, pumpkin-infused, brandy-spiked, caramel swirled. Sara Lee’s, Lindy’s, Eli’s, Junior’s.

Not that I spend my life eating cheesecake. In fact, cheesecake is a rare item at our house because, let’s face it, there are enough calories in one slice for an entire meal.

Nope. Cheesecake is reserved for special occasions, like Shavuot (which begins at sundown May 14 this year). It’s tradition to eat dairy on this holiday, and cheesecake has always been the most popular holiday dessert.

As far as I’m concerned, because cheesecake is such a rarity in my life, it has to be worthy. Worthy of a celebration. Worth adding all those calories to my day.

This one is.

Honest.

 

New York Cheesecake

1-1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine

1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately)

1-1/2 pounds cream cheese (3-8 ounce packages)

freshly grated peel of one small orange

2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1/3 cup dairy sour cream or unflavored yogurt

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the butter on the bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan. Sprinkle the inside of the pan with the graham cracker crumbs. Shake the pan to coat the bottom and sides of the pan completely. Beat the cream cheese, orange peel and lemon peel together in the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has softened and is smooth. Gradually add the vanilla, cream and sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, beating them in after each addition. Stir in the sour cream. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Prepare a bain-marie, that is, place the springform pan inside a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come at least 1-inch up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for 70-75 minutes or until the top of the cake is lightly browned. Remove the springform pan from the larger pan and let the cake cool in the springform pan. When the cake has reached room temperature, refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or until it is thoroughly chilled. Remove the sides of the pan to serve the cake. Slices best using a knife that has been inserted into very hot water. Makes one

Why wait for a holiday to eat cheesecake? We didn’t. Last week as the family gathered I wanted to make a dessert we hadn’t eaten in a while, so I played around with my basic cheesecake batter and came up with this sort of striped, half vanilla, half chocolate version. When even my grandson Remy, who is 2 and will not eat cheese, asked for “mo cheesecake, mo cheesecake!” I knew I had a winner. (Everyone else liked it too.) You might think cheesecake is too heavy for summer eating. But it doesn’t have to be. This recipe is light, but creamy and soft. Nice even on a hot hot day. You can make this cake all vanilla, of course (I would add some freshly grated lemon and/or orange peel, maybe 2-3 teaspoons grated) or all chocolate (increase the melted chocolate to 10 ounces). Among the great things about cheesecake is that you can make lots of changes easily to suit yourself and it’s still cheesecake. Like, you can serve it plain or cover it with glazed fruit. Or you can build a graham cracker crust inside. And so on. Also, you can save leftovers for another day: wrap in plastic and put in the freezer for months. Try this first and let your tastebuds take you from there: Half and Half Cheesecake 6 ounces semisweet chocolate 1-1/2 pounds cream cheese (3 8-ounce packages) 1 cup sugar 4 large eggs 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/3 cup dairy sour cream or unflavored yogurt  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate in the top part of a double boiler over barely simmering water (or use a microwave oven). Set aside to cool. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set it aside. Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer set on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, cream and sour cream. Remove half the batter to a second bowl. Add the melted chocolate to one of the halves and blend it in thoroughly. Spoon one of the batters into the prepared pan. Top with the second batter. Place the springform pan inside a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come at least 1” up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 65-70 minutes or until the cake is set and doesn’t shake when the pan is moved gently. Remove the springform pan from the larger pan and let the cake cool in the springform pan. When the cake has reached room temperature, place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until it is thoroughly chilled. Remove the sides of the springform pan and cut the cake into slices using a knife that has been heated under hot water and dried. Makes one cake, 8-12 servings 

Why wait for a holiday to eat cheesecake?

We didn’t.

Last week as the family gathered I wanted to make a dessert we hadn’t eaten in a while, so I played around with my basic cheesecake batter and came up with this sort of striped, half vanilla, half chocolate version.

When even my grandson Remy, who is 2 and will not eat cheese, asked for “mo cheesecake, mo cheesecake!” I knew I had a winner. (Everyone else liked it too.)

You might think cheesecake is too heavy for summer eating. But it doesn’t have to be. This recipe is light, but creamy and soft. Nice even on a hot hot day.

You can make this cake all vanilla, of course (I would add some freshly grated lemon and/or orange peel, maybe 2-3 teaspoons grated) or all chocolate (increase the melted chocolate to 10 ounces).

Among the great things about cheesecake is that you can make lots of changes easily to suit yourself and it’s still cheesecake. Like, you can serve it plain or cover it with glazed fruit. Or you can build a graham cracker crust inside. And so on. Also, you can save leftovers for another day: wrap in plastic and put in the freezer for months.

Try this first and let your tastebuds take you from there:

Half and Half Cheesecake

6 ounces semisweet chocolate

1-1/2 pounds cream cheese (3 8-ounce packages)

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup dairy sour cream or unflavored yogurt 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate in the top part of a double boiler over barely simmering water (or use a microwave oven). Set aside to cool. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set it aside. Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer set on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, cream and sour cream. Remove half the batter to a second bowl. Add the melted chocolate to one of the halves and blend it in thoroughly. Spoon one of the batters into the prepared pan. Top with the second batter. Place the springform pan inside a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come at least 1” up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 65-70 minutes or until the cake is set and doesn’t shake when the pan is moved gently. Remove the springform pan from the larger pan and let the cake cool in the springform pan. When the cake has reached room temperature, place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until it is thoroughly chilled. Remove the sides of the springform pan and cut the cake into slices using a knife that has been heated under hot water and dried. Makes one cake, 8-12 servings