My Love For Cheesecake Recipes

Right, back to the subject, it seems that cheesecakes are a fairly recent concoction and originated from the traditional Yorkshire Cheesecake. This was made from a local curd cheese, eggs and lemon and then baked in a pastry case. Nowadays there is a huge range of different sorts, there must be millions of variations - a lot anyway. But, before I move on, I'll give you an up to date version of the Yorkshire Cheesecake, so here goes ... but first a photo!

YORKSHIRE CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Ingredients you'll need:

3oz (75g) currants
8oz (225g) cottage cheese, sieved
half pint (300ml) soured cream
2oz (50g) castor sugar
2 eggs
1 egg white
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
and
some shortcrust pastry which has been chilled for 30 minutes - I'm sure you'll have your own version of this.

What to do:

Roll out your pastry to line a 10 inch flan dish or tin. Give the base a good pricking and chill same.

Once chilled (brrrr) scatter your currants carefully over the pastry base. Mix together the cottage cheese, soured cream, sugar, eggs, egg white and lemon rind until blended beautifully. Now pour into the pastry case.

Bung this in an oven, at 425F (Gas 7), for ten minutes and then reduce the temperature to 325F (Gas 3) for 20 minutes or until the cheesecake is firm. Serve cold.

So there you go!

Those of you paying proper attention will notice that the above cheesecake went into the oven. Yes? There are, however, also two other ways of making cheesecakes. You can set them with gelatine (or veggie equivalent) or chill them to make them go firm - mmmm, there's an interesting thought.

Now personally I prefer the baked sort as they tend to be richer and heavier, a bit rougher in texture and something more substantial to get your teeth into. Here's one I like. It hasn't a name but, as I learnt it from my mum, with great originality I'll call it Mum's Cheesecake.

MUM'S CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Ingredients you'll need:

4oz (100g) digestive biscuits
half teaspoon cinnamon
1.5oz (38g) butter (melted)
12oz (350g) cottage cheese
Yolks & whites of three eggs
4oz (100g) (castor sugar)
2 tablespoons custard powder (or cornflour)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
4 tablespoons double cream

What to do:

Crush those suggestive digestives and mix with the cinnamon and melted butter. Use this mixture to cover a 6 inch, loose bottomed, buttered round cake tin - which isn't easy to say (or even write) after a glass of wine.

Okay, now rub your cottage cheese sensuously through a sieve. To this add the egg yolks, 3oz (75g) of sugar, custard powder, lemon peel and double cream - mix it all well.

Take the naughty egg whites and beat them until they are stiff, like snow. Fold in the rest of the sugar, ooh gently does it. Now fold this lot into the cheese mixture with a large metal spoon. Pour into your cake tin - on top of the delighted biscuit mix - add a sprinkling of love - ding!

Bake in the centre of a cool oven, say 300F (Gas 2) for about one hour. Then turn off the heat, open the oven door, enjoy a blast of warmth, and leave the cake to stand in the oven for a further 30 minutes. Gently remove from the tin when cold. You can then top with your choice of fruit if so desired. The favourite seems to be blackcurrant, but live dangerously! Cherry is quite succulent.

So there you go again!

One of the good things about cheesecakes is that they all freeze very well. If I'm in the mood I knock out a couple and pop one away for another time. I find they are best frozen uncovered and without the topping. Once nice and hard they can be wrapped and sealed until temptation calls. A baked cheesecake takes about 3-4 hours at room temperature to thaw (the other types 2-3 hours) or they can be left in a fridge overnight. I plonk the topping on just prior to serving.

If you have the urge to make several, perhaps cheesecakes that don't need baking are easier. There follows such a cheesecake recipe ...

BANANA CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Ingredients you'll need:

3oz (75g) butter
8oz (225g) gingernuts
8oz (225g) cottage cheese, sieved
5 fl oz (150ml) orange yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2 mashed bananas
juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons gelatine (or equivalent)
4 tablespoons hot water
quarter pint (150ml) double cream, whipped

What to do:

This is easy peasy - the bottom or base first. Melt the butter and mix with the gingernuts. Press this into an 8 inch fluted flan ring which is sitting comfortably on a greased baking tray - chill until firm.

Mix the cottage cheese, yogurt, honey, bananas and lemon juice. Dissolve the gelatine (yuk!!), or similar, in the hot water and allow to cool - stir into the cottage cheese mixture. Pour this lot into the flan case and leave to set.

Decorate with the whipped cream - serve chilled.

So there you go for a third time. Which can't be bad for one evening!

There are so many variations of cheesecakes and, as in life, bottoms don't have to all be the same. Try mixing a few squares of melted chocolate into the standard scrunched up biscuits and melted butter or mix melted butter, sugar and golden syrup with roasted chopped hazelnuts and some puffed rice cereal for a bit of a crunch taste.

Another one is flour, butter and sugar rubbed together until like breadcrumbs - then knead together and roll this shortbread style mixture to line the base. Spread with black cherry jam and then put your choice of cheesecake mixture on top. And then there is ...

No - I'd better call it a day, otherwise someone might start to imagine that I'm domesticated and can actually cook. I once accidently used salt instead of sugar in a cheesecake!

I'd rather really just slope off to some nice coffee shop, that also serves cheesecake ready made. Much nicer to sit, relax and enjoy without all the hassle - so uplifting, and all without the aid of handkerchiefs!

Oh and the girl? A cheesecake pin-up from the 50's, just trying to cover all angles.

One of the girls in my office, Rachel, decided it was time to shed some excess weight. She took her new diet very seriously and even changed her driving route to work to avoid her favorite bakery.

One morning, however, she arrived at work carrying a gigantic cheesecake. We all scolded her, but her smile remained cherubic.

"This is a very special cheesecake," she explained. "I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and there in the window was this cheesecake. I felt this was no accident, so I prayed, 'Lord, if you want me to have one of those delicious cheesecakes, let me have a parking spot directly in front of the bakery', and sure enough," she continued, "the ninth time around the block, there it was!"

National Cheesecake Day could have something to do with The Cheescake Factory who celebrated 30 years last year (2008) on - yes, you have guessed: July 30th.

The Cheesecake factory was founded by David Overton in 1978.I had never heard of this before but I've been informed that there is a National Cheesecake Day and this is held on July 30th.

So what's it all about. Er, I'm not exactly sure but one of the obvious requirements is that everyone should eat cheesecakes - so that sounds as good an excuse as any to celebrate!

It also seems that some cheesecake chains make special offers on July 30th and ... well that's all I know as I've never heard of this in the UK.

Do you know anything about National Cheescake Day?

Thank you so much for your visit

Here are some of my other lenses:

FOOD & COOKING
My Love For Marmite Recipes
Chocolate And Being A Chocoholic
Suzie's English Mustard Talk
My Embarrassing Experience With Smirnoff Vodka

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Is There Such A Thing As Time?
Is There Life After Death?
Why I Abhor Violence

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Suzie's Household Tips
Aromatherapy, Oils, Massage and Recipes
How To Enjoy Chess
Helen Flanagan Pics
How To Gain Unlimited Power, Wealth, Love and Happiness

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