Majida Rashid
Because you don’t live near a bakery doesn’t mean you have to go without cheesecake.
— Hedy Lamarr
In November statues of drummer boys, standing tall on red drums with golden borders, wearing blue pants, matching hats embellished with golden fleur-di-lis, red double-breasted jackets with blue buttons and golden stripes, golden long cuffs with blue peeking from underneath and black belts with golden border, appeared around the main traffic lights of the Energy Corridor here in Houston. Huge wreaths placed next to each boy are the epitome of the holiday season. Seeing them this year again put me in a festive mood.
Another factor that makes me feel excited about this season is that stores put whole nuts in shells on sale. The nuts start appearing before Thanksgiving. Before the New Year, these stores have to replace them with other items. A pound of nuts, irrespective of the type, usually costs under a dollar, but I guess this year they may cost a little higher, maybe around $1.99. They are still worth the price.
While my mind salivates over bringing the nuts home, I will while away the wait with freshly made cheesecake. It’s easy to bake and doesn’t take much preparation. In America Graham Crackers are synonymous with cheesecake crust but I have never used them because crackers to me are salty! Instead, I use English whole wheat cookies named “digestive biscuits.” These are usually displayed in the international food section of big supermarkets.
A springform pan is convenient for taking out the cake, but I have a 9 x 1.5” pie pan with a fixed bottom. I cut a rectangle piece of foil and fold it a few times to make a thin strip that is longer than the circumference of the pan. Then I butter the pan, place the foil in the pan and cover it with wax paper. Pull the foil up from both sides and transfer the cake onto a plate.
Please note: All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
Cheesecake
Ingredients
The crust:
6 digestive biscuits
1/4 cup softened butter
Filling:
3 packets Philadelphia cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping:
3/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
20 black berries
20 raspberries
Directions
For the Crust:
Butter the baking pan and line with a wax paper and lightly brush with melted butter.
Crush the biscuits either in a food processor or using a pastry dough blender.
Melt the butter and mix in with the crumbs and transfer them to the pan.
Use a rubber spatula or hands to press down the crumbs and evenly cover the base of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 325°F before preparing the filling.
For the Filling:
Using a hand-held electric beater, beat cream cheese and sugar together.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is light. It will have bubbles.
Scrape the bowl and beat one last time.
Mix in the vanilla with the spatula.
Pour into the prepared pan and bang the pan lightly on a working surface. This will remove any large air bubbles.
Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven.
Bake for 55 – 70 minutes.
After 50 minutes of baking insert a thin wooden skewer in the middle of the cake. If it has even a little bit of cheese stuck then return it to the over to bake a little longer.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for half an hour.
Loosen the sides with a plastic knife and refrigerate the pan for a few hours.
Transfer the cake onto a serving plate.
For the Topping:
Warm the orange juice over low heat.
Add the berries and let them simmer for a little bit. Raspberries will disintegrate.
Dissolve the cornstarch in a little water and add it to the berries and cook over low heat until it thickens lightly.
Mix in the zest, cook for a minute and remove from the heat.
Pour over the cake and let it cool.
Enjoy it with coffee and company.
Serves 8
—————
Foodie Majida Rashid lives in Texas. Food and cooking are her passion. Her presentation about her love of food can be viewed on USA Today’s network: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0xi566VSPo
@Frontiers_Of_Flavor
Her philosophical writing can be read at apakistaniwomansjourney.wordpress.com.
