Thursday, March 28, 2024 -
Print Edition

Cheesecake hangover

THERE is Ruth, whom I love. Her feminine and gentle character of kindness has always resonated with me. Her embracing of Judaism — against all odds — has always inspired me.

There is the experience of the day by day lead up to Shavuot, a culmination of our counting the passage of each day within the unit of seven weeks. Of meditating on a daily attribute of growth and improvement, all in preparation to receive the revelation of the Torah.

There is the beautiful and beloved tikkun leil Shavuot custom of staying up through the night ‘till the break of dawn, studying the Torah. Studying with yourself, or in conversation and dialogue with a study partner. Perhaps as part of a group class, really in whatever way is meaningful and enjoyable to you. You animate the night with the holy cocaphony of Torah study. This truly is one of my favorite customs and nights on the Jewish calendar.

All these, of course, are the essence of the holiday.

But then there is this custom of eating dairy. It may not be the essence, but it sure is loads of fun.

Well, maybe not for those dairy intolerant folk among us. But for those non-carnivore oriented among us, who are inclined to enjoy dairy cuisine, it is a welcome change from the more usual traditional Shabbos or holiday fare.

There is nothing like that warm buttery crepe filled with sweet-tart cheese filling. The blintz!

But then there is that cheesecake!

Cheesecake, while it is usually served for dessert or requested for a birthday cake, on Shavuot it is literally breakfast, lunch and dinner. Oh, and midnight snack soiree — don’t forget the holy custom of tikkun leil.

Dear G-d, I have observed this cheesecake custom stringently over the years.

In plain or fancy versions, dense and velvety ones, gooey buttery kinds, modest unadorned classic varieties, over the top gilding the lily cakes, trendy and wicked, and creamy-dreamy cheesecakes, too.

All it takes is just a few ingredients, and viola, you have the luxurious cheesecake.

To be sure, it is a decadent indulgence. Just looking at the outrageous ingredient list on the recipe card is enough to make you gain five pounds.

Five bricks of cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, sour cream . . .

That’s why there is the classic cheesecake accessory — to balance out that cold richness, right? Coffee, please. Hot bitter strong coffee. It is cheesecake’s companion in the intervals and intermissions between rich bites.

That is, unless your particular cheesecake is an espresso cheesecake, in which the coffee is already included. Or, if you are one of those chocoholics who believes chocolate makes everything taste better and should be incorporated into any dessert, no matter what, then there is chocolate swirled cheesecake.

For those of us with cheesecake appetite as part of our DNA, we’ll fall in love with just about any cheesecake. The truth is, though, I am more the purist on cheesecake. Like most things that I enjoy, it is the classics that prevail.

MANY years ago I did go through the stage where I adorned the crown of the cheesecake in the ying-yang design. With a knife, I carefully bisected the circle in a vertical wave like curved line. I would top each half of the cake with chocolate or vanilla, or with contrasting colored fruit slices, such as apricots and raspberries, or something of the like. Then for the inner circles I would just cluster some cherries on the stem on the ying side, and some sliced round kiwis on the yang side.

Or if it was dark chocolate and white chocolate that I had coated the cake with, then the inner small circles would just be mounded chocolate shavings circles of the reverse chocolate colors, or perhaps a combo of the two, in striped chocolate shavings (thanks to two-toned Swiss Rosemary chocolate!).

It was fun. And it was pretty.

But it wasn’t that classic purist gold cheesecake that I love. So I gave up looks for substance, and never looked back.

Now I need to go to the trouble of making sure there are no cracks on the cheesecake, to ensure that smooth perfect pale yellow gold top. I do the whole shtick. The tightly wrapped springform pan in foil, the waterbath, the wait for the jiggly center, the leaving of the cheesecake in the oven after it is baked, the refrigeration of the cake for a full 24 hours prior to serving.

I know New Yorkers have bragging rights to The Cheesecake (love the vintage red and white Juniors stripes graphic). I, however, grew up with the more Italian version, where ricotta cheese is used in combination with all that cream cheese. That is the one my mother always bakes, the one my family falls in love with every Shavuot again and again.

Tavern On The Green Cheese Cake

CRUST

11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 T. sugar

scant t. cinnamon

6 T. unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

1 pound cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup whole milk ricotta

2 T. heavy cream

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 t. fresh lemon juice ( I often use lemon zest)

2 t. best quality vanilla extract

3 large eggs (I bring them to room temperature), lightly beaten

SOUR CREAM TOPPING

1 cup sour cream

11/2 T. sugar

1/2 t. best quality vanilla extract

Bake in a 10 inch springform at 300F for 40 minutes, or until center is almost firm. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes, leaving the oven on. In an even layer, slowly pour the topping on the cake. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. And enjoy!

I hope you recover from your cheesecake hangover.

B’Tei’avon and Chag Sameach!

Copyright © 2011 by the Intermountain Jewish News



Tehilla Goldberg

IJN columnist | View from Central Park


Leave a Reply