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By: Miriam Szokovski
Classic Cheesecake with Fresh Fruit
It’s that time of year again, when cheesecakes galore are popping up all over the place. To be honest, I am not cheesecake’s biggest fan, but this recipe is one even I enjoy. The actual cheesecake is lighter, with a slight lemony undertone, and the fresh fruit helps temper the richness.
You can use this cheesecake as a base and add the topping of your choice. Some suggestions: caramel, chocolate ganache, fresh berries, pie filling, lemon curd, roasted rhubarb, etc. I went very simple with oranges, kiwis and strawberries.
Why are we talking about cheesecake? The holiday of Shavuot is almost upon us, when we celebrate the giving of the Torah by hearing the Ten Commandments being read in the synagogue. Some of the customs specific to this holiday include decorating our homes with greenery and eating dairy foods.
This recipe is closely based on Matt Preston’s cheesecake recipe. I’ve made one or two very small adjustments.
Prepare the pan:
You will need a 9-inch springform pan for this recipe. If you don’t have a springform pan, you can use a regular pan, but the cake will be difficult to remove. You may need to cut it while it’s still in the pan.
This cheesecake cooks best in a water bath, so you’ll need a larger pan that the springform pan can sit in.
Wrap the outside of the springform pan in 2–3 layers of foil. This helps keep the water from seeping through the crack around the base.
Crust Ingredients:
- 4 oz. / 120 grams tea biscuits, crushed
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 8 tbsp. butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
Crust Directions:
Crush the tea biscuits to a fine crumb, and mix with the sugar, salt and melted butter.
Press the mixture down firmly into the base of the springform pan. Use the back of a spoon to help compress the mixture.
Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Cheesecake Ingredients:
- 24 oz. cream cheese (3 cups)
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2½ tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1¼ cup heavy cream
Cheesecake Directions:
Let the cream cheese come to room temperature.
Using an electric mixer (stand or handheld), beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, and mix until fully incorporated.
Add the eggs one a time. Wait until each one is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Pour in the lemon juice, vanilla and salt, and mix. Slowly pour in the heavy cream, and mix until smooth.
Pour the cheese mixture over the base.
Place the springform pan into the larger pan, and add 1 inch of water to the larger pan.
Bake at 350° F for approximately 60–75 minutes. In order not to overcook the cake, turn off the oven when the center is still jiggly (but not completely wet). Leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour. Then remove and let it cool completely.
Refrigerate cake until cold. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, then gently release the springform.
Top with fresh fruit. I used orange, kiwi and strawberries.
Easy Cherry-Cheese Tarts for Shavuot
I used store-bought puff pastry for these, and the cheese filling can be mixed with a spoon–no blenders or mixers required. Feel free to change up the flavor and use blueberry or strawberry pie filling instead.
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 4-6 tbsp. sugar
- 1 ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup cherry pie filling (or other flavor of your choice)
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Place a sheet of parchment paper down on your workspace. Roll out a sheet of puff pastry on the parchment paper, then pick up the whole piece of parchment paper and place on a baking sheet. This way you can do the rest of the work directly on the baking sheet and won’t have to move anything around.
Use a round cookie cutter (or large mug) to cut out circles (mine are 3.5”). Prick the center of each circle several times with a fork.
Soften the cream cheese for approx 12 seconds in the microwave. Mix in the sugar and lemon juice. Spread the cheese mixture on the center of each circle, leaving the edge clear. Add a dollop of your preferred pie filling.
Beat the egg and brush over the edges. Sprinkle the edges with sugar (coarse sugar if you have it).
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yields: 16 (will vary depending on the size of your cookie cutter)
Maple Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
With Pecan Crunch Topping
It’s that time of year again . . . the blogosphere has erupted with fall-inspired dishes, with a heavy propensity towards pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin brownies, pumpkin milkshake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin everything!
Today I’m sharing my Maple-Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Pecan Crunch Topping. If you love fall flavors, prepare to fall in love with this dessert. You’ve got pumpkin, maple, brown sugar and pecan, with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.
It’s quick and easy, and presents beautifully—an great way to impress friends and family.
For the ice cream, you’ll need heavy cream, pumpkin purée, sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
A couple of things to keep in mind:
You can make your own pumpkin purée, or buy it canned. If you’re buying canned, make sure you buy pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. The cans are very similar, so make sure to read the label carefully. To make you own purée, boil the pumpkin until soft, then drain and mash.
I used an ice cream machine. But if you don’t have one, there are two other methods you can use: (1) Buy a tub of good quality vanilla ice cream. Leave it out of the freezer to soften slightly (but do not let it melt completely). Blend it with the pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice and salt, and continue with the rest of the recipe instructions. Or, (2) beat the heavy cream until stiff. Add the sugar; mix until incorporated. Add the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, salt and pumpkin pie spice, and give a quick mix until it’s fully incorporated. Pour into pie crust, and continue with the rest of the instructions.
To make the ice cream, blend all ice cream ingredients (except the pie crust). Pour the mixture into the bowl of your ice cream machine.
Meanwhile, lightly toss the topping ingredients together and spread over a baking pan in a single layer.
Bake at 375° F for approximately 5 minutes. Remove and allow the crunch to cool completely.