The Culinary Connoisseur
Smile and Say Cheesecake
23
May
May
The earliest mention of a cheesecake is by an ancient
Greek physician who wrote a book on the art of making
cheesecakes. His instructions and recipes include dishes that are remarkably
similar to the cheesecake we bake with a crust. Their customs were adapted by
the conquering Romans who also developed a taste for this ever-popular treat.
In 1872, a farmer from upstate NY accidentally came up
with a afresh cheese that was heavier and creamier than any cheese available at
that time. He began to sell the cheese in wrapped foil, eventually becoming the
type of cream cheese that is now used most often for cheesecake.
Cheesecakes are still popular throughout the world with
every culture having its own unique twist.
In the US you’ll find New York-style cheesecake which is
extra creamy and relies on the addition of heavy cream.
Some styles use sour cream instead of heavy cream. This
makes the cheesecake more resilient to freezing and is the method by which most
frozen cheesecakes are made.
Pennsylvania Dutch cheesecakes take their traditions form
European-style cheesecakes. They use a tangy type of cheese with larger curds
and less water content, like farmer’s cheese.
Philadelphia-style cheesecake is lighter in texture, yet
richer in flavor than New York-style cheesecake—they usually contain only cream
cheese.
Country-style cheesecake uses buttermilk to produce a
firm texture while increasing acidity to extend shelf life.
In the United Kingdom and other countries with ties to
the UK, cheesecake is typically made with a base of crushed, buttered cookies
and often topped with fruit compote. The filling is a mixture of cream cheese, sugar
and cream and it is usually not baked, but refrigerated. Unflavored gelatin is
often added to the cream mixture to keep the filling firm.
German-style cheesecake uses a cheese called quark. It is
very similar to Israeli “gevina levana.”
Bulgarian and other Baltic countries use cream cheese in
a New York-style filling and sour cream for a top layer. Often, ground nuts are
added to the crust mixture.
Italian cheesecake use ricotta or mascarpone cheese,
sugar, vanilla extract, and sometimes flour or cornstarch is added. This type
of cheesecake is typically drier than American styles.
Greek-style cheesecake commonly uses layers of buttered phyllo
dough and is filled with a cheese-egg mixture.
Cheesecakes made
in South America usually have a layer of guava or berry jam on top while Asian-style
cheesecakes are lighter in flavor and texture and are much less sweet.
Here’s another twist on cheesecake—deep fried!
For the crust:
2 cup graham cracker crumbs, about 14
1/4 cup sugar
7 tablespoon butter, melted
for the cake:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
6 ounces dairy white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
30 egg roll wrappers
egg wash (whisk 1 egg with 1 cup milk)
6-7 ounces dairy milk chocolate, chopped
canola oil, for deep frying
confectioners’ sugar
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
6 ounces dairy white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
30 egg roll wrappers
egg wash (whisk 1 egg with 1 cup milk)
6-7 ounces dairy milk chocolate, chopped
canola oil, for deep frying
confectioners’ sugar
Dessert sauce
Whipped heavy cream
Make the cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9” springform pan. Don’t bother with a water bath here—it doesn’t matter if it cracks.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9” springform pan. Don’t bother with a water bath here—it doesn’t matter if it cracks.
In a medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs, sugar, and
melted butter. Press firmly on bottom and 1-inch up sides of a 9-inch spring
form pan. Bake 8 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat
with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well
after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate.
Carefully pour batter into the prepared crust. Bake 45
minutes. Remove from oven let cool completely on wire rack. Chill 8 hours
before continuing with the recipe.
Cut the cheesecake into approximately 3” by 1”
pieces.
Heat oil in a large pot to 365 degrees F on a deep-fry
thermometer. Prepare a cooling rack over a sheet pan lined with paper
towel.
Lightly moisten each egg roll wrapper with the egg wash.
Blot off excess egg wash with paper towels. Place each piece of cheesecake in
the middle of a wrapper. Sprinkle with some chopped chocolate. Fold top of
wrapper down over the cheesecake, and both sides toward the middle. Roll each
piece of cheesecake toward you until it is completely rolled up. Make sure the
egg roll is tightly packed with its edges sealed.
Gently place egg rolls into the oil and cook until golden
brown, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg rolls from the
oil. Place each egg roll in a bowl of confectioners’ sugar
and coat well.
Place deep-fried rolls of cheesecake on the rack to cool
slightly before serving.
Drizzle with dessert sauce and top with whipped cream. Serve
immediately.