There is a Season with Molly Parr: Cheesecake sans stress: No need to track down your springform pan
For years I’d been nervous about making cheesecakes. They seemed so difficult to master. I never quite trusted the combination of “water bath” and springform pan. I mention this because the Jewish holiday of Shavuot happened earlier this week. It’s traditional to eat dairy foods like cheese blintzes, noodle kugels, of course, cheesecake.
I don’t remember all the details anymore, but during lockdown I came up with this less intimidating cheesecake recipe. First, it’s made in a loaf pan, which means no digging around the cabinets for the bottom of that springform pan that always seems to get misplaced. Second, the slices are very easy to serve because they just lift out of the loaf pan. The serving size is smaller, but that can be a feature, not a bug, when it comes to rich desserts.
To crush graham crackers for the crust, I put them in a large Ziploc bag and assign one of my kids to smash them with a rolling pin. Make sure to give your cream cheese at least an hour to hit room temperature and soften.
For serving, a sprinkle of fresh berries on the dessert plate is a great way to go. I think the slice in the photo was topped with a blackberry and tarragon compote, but I’m including a recipe for a rhubarb and strawberry compote here, to keep it seasonal.
Ingredients:
Crust:
8 Graham crackers, crushed
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling:
2 8oz bars of cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Lower the oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper with enough overhang that the baked cheesecake can easily be lifted out of the pan.
Preheat oven to 325F.
Mix all the crust ingredients together. Press into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 22 minutes, or until lightly brown on the top and edges.
While the crust is pre-baking, prepare the cheesecake filling.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth. Beat in the sugar, egg, vanilla and lemon juice until completely combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides into the bowl and beat again as needed.
Pour the batter onto the warm crust and smooth it out with a spatula.
Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the batter is set.
A toothpick stuck into the center of the cake should come out mostly clean.
Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool in the pan. Once cool, refrigerate the cake for at least four hours, up to overnight.
Adapted from Erin French’s “The Lost Kitchen”
Ingredients:
3 cups chopped rhubarb (1-inch pieces)
Two-thirds cup sugar
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one-half lemon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups cleaned and quartered fresh strawberries
Directions:
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Bring to a summer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the rhubarb becomes tender and sauce-like, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cleaned strawberries and cook for about four more minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. This will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Molly Parr lives in Florence with her husband and two young daughters. She’s been writing her food blog, Cheap Beets, since 2010. Send questions or comments to [email protected].
Daily Hampshire Gazette
